The Prophetic Parables of Jesus (Matt 24:42-25:46+)

“Our Final Test” - The Exegetical & Prophetic Commentary

(PH144 29.2||LLM 341.5||16MR 271.3)

            The following is a verse-by-verse exegetical commentary on, chiefly, the 1+4 (correlated) Prophetic Parables in Matt 24:42-25:46, namely:

-Coming as a Thief (Matt 24:42-44) (=Rev 3:3-5; 16:15; cf. Luke 12:35)

(1) The Illustration of the Two Stewards/Servants (Matt 24:45-51; =Luke 12:41-48)

(2) The Parable of Ten Virgins (Matt 25:1-13; cf. Matt 22:1-12)

(3) The Parable of the Talents (Matt 25:14-30; =Luke 19:12-27)

(4) The Parable of the Sheep vs. the Goats (Matt 25:31-46 [cf. Matt 8:10-12])

Chronology, and Texts related to, Matt 24-25 Parables

            The previous “Our Final Test” blog post was actually written about this bloc of parables, but it then deliberately concealing (ala. Dan 12:4, 9-10) presented and expounded this message in the form of a parable (ala. Matt 13:10-17 =Isa 6:8-13), and subsequently with (mainly) Bible/Spirit of Prophecy (SOP) reference annotations added.[1]¹ So here/now is the exegetical and interpretational understandings which were underlying that “parabolic” rendition.

           First of all, the following here is a Master Illustration depicting and summarizing the entire ensuing exposition/commentary on these Prophetic/Apocalyptic Parables. The progression, association, relation and/or confrontation between the 8 illustrated entities/institution, and the many other supporting passages in the Bible and SOP, is all indicated & explained in the commentaries below.

Illustration for Matt 24-25+ Prophetic Parables

6. ‘Coming as a Thief’

Matthew 24:42-44 = Mark 13:33 = Luke 12:39-40, 41 + Luke 21:34-36

Matthew 24:42 - "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

Mark 13:33 - "Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

Appointed time - While it has been made clear that “no one knows the day and hour when Christ will come”, God has however allowed that:

(1) the nearest of the time can be figured out: That is what the preceding “Parable of the Fig Tree” illustrated (Matt 24:32-35|Mark 13:28-32|Luke 21:28-33|DA 632.1-4); and

(2) when a certain stage of these events have been reached, God will then divulge further specifying time:

(A) Period=Year: This is seen with the also just mentioned Matt 24:14 clear & incontrovertible statement which reveals that “the end” will come when the good news of the kingdom has been preached throughout the world. This is literally when every single living human being on this planet, thus in every people and language group, will have a pondered awareness and intelligent knowledge of Kingdom of God is and what it is about....Indeed just like most of the world presently has such a cognition about, not merely that the United States of America, -(incidently pertinently the “Babylon” Headquarters of Satan (Rev 13:11ff), physically/jurisdictionally is a country in this world, but about what the U.S. (faux, i.e. Satanic “freedom”) Worldview is. So this will be best be done by a tangible demonstration by God’s People “showing the world” of/about the Kingdom of God (=Rev 11:15-18)

            As Rev 11:18a implies/involves, as the Kingdom of God inevitably overturns the various, Religious/Babylonians and Heathen, unrighteousness, lies & death (Rev 9:20-21) strongholds of Satan (John 8:44) in this world (Rev 19:11ff; cf. Acts 17:6; Rev 6:3-4=Rev 19:15-16), the establishment of the Kingdom of God will indeed be seen to have Finished its Work when that Apostate & Atheistic world will join together (symbolically as “Gog & Magog”) to, most unlawfully, oppose God’s Kingdom, led by the AntiChrist power (Rev 17:13-14). So this Matt 24:14 “end”, indeed marks the end period of this age, as God will then supernaturally intervene to end this assault on His Faithful and Righteous People (=Rev 19:19-21). And as it is unlikely that this “shooting war” Final Assault would last for more than a year, it can be deduced that the signaling of the “end” from Matt 24:14 stipulation marks the actual year of the end.

(B) month(s): Further fulfilling/fulfilled “signs”, i.e. from the increasing opposition by the evildoers, should be able to point to even the “season” when the end will come (=Matt 16:1-3) , i.e. within 3 months of it, or furthermore, even the very month.

           

(C) Day&Hour: From the additional revelations in the SOP, it is seen the “day and the hour” of the Second Coming will reassuringly be divulged to God’s Faithful people as the persectuing wicked are closing in on them to murder them. (EW 14.1b-15.1)

So all this to say/show that what will not be known, and, as relatedly stated (below) by

Jesus: will take “everyone” (=Luke 21:35; =Matt 25:6), -especially those who are not ‘alert and prepared’ by surprise, is more widely, the time period leading up to this appointed end time. (=1 Thess 5:2-3 = Matt 24:6-8). This ‘tumultuous’ time period will “surprisingly” overtake everyone and it is only when they have fallen into it that, as discussed later (i.e. at Matt 25:6), those who have the Holy Spirit’s (Latter Rain) guidance will be able to make Light, i.e. Biblical Light of it, and will be able to ‘see their way through’ this period of fallen darkness, and with increasing Light, unto the very end!

Matthew 24:43 - "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Luke 12:39 - "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

But be sure... - Indeed no one is that self-negligent. And indeed this Satan-following world is quite determined to protect and preserve their Babylonian and Heathen way of life.

the thief was coming - Paradoxically enough, Jesus will come as a thief (1 Thess 5:2; 2 Pet 3:10) yet Satan, and not Christ, is the thief (John 10:10). Only the Righteous, who, most pertinently/relatedly here: are not in “darkness”,  will not be viewing this coming of Christ as a thief (1 Thess 5:4-5). Jesus indeed seeks to ‘invitedly’ come through the door (Rev 3:20 versus John 10:1), and does to His receiving ones. His mere ‘knocking at the door’ is most mal-construingly perceived by the unrighteous, including in the (Laodicean) Church (cf. Rev 3:3; 16:15) to be the coming of a thief. (=LDE 209.3-210.1)

            In fact, flipping the “figure of speech” (John 10:6) on its head, Jesus Himself is that “door” of Rev 3:20 (John 10:7, 9). And his knocking on the door is Him trying to get His professed people to “hear and open up” ‘the door of their heart’ (=LDE 209.3) to His own teachings...and ‘let Him in to sup with them’ so that He may further make His Words, Commands and Gospel mandate understood to them.

                       

house be broken into - Jesus does patiently knock at the door, but, being the shepherd of the sheep (John 10:2), as seen later (at Mark 13:34) at if His sheep are being held captive/hostage, i.e. by (Laodiceanly) non-chalantly “asleep” and/or (Babylonianly) “drunk” (false) shepherds/doorkeepers (1 Thess 5:6-7; Ezek 34:1-22; EW 36.2), Jesus will “open that door” (which is by making Himself fully seen) to enter and call & lead out his sheep (John 10:3-4; =Rev 18:1-5ff)..who will recognize His voice and likewise still know that He is not a thief (John 10:5), pointedly by recognizing His Biblical works (John 10:25-28).

The prophetic “Coming as a thief” motif = Now that contextualizingly said above about how Jesus and the rest of the NT understood that thief symbol, it is unmistakable to make the link with Christ launching off into his 3 main, Kingdom-explanatory, parables of Matt 25 by using that “coming as a thief” imagery and such a (oddly interjected) mention in Rev 16:15. In Rev 16:15 that imagery is mentioned, literally in the midst declared & preparing war. It is the (misunderstoodly infamous) Battle of Har-/Ar-maggedon. It is just as the Religious and Heathen wicked of the Earth has rallied themselves into a Spiritualistic confederacy (Rev 16:13-14a) for that, -clearly uncomprehended by them, “war of the great day of God the Almighty” (Rev 16:14b) that the ‘coming of Christ (to His People) as a thief’ is mentioned. Clearly, as several symbols are the same, this is a remonstrating call that is calling as far back/widely to the General Reformation Era Church (Rev 3:1-5). Also in these symbols is the mention of ‘being girded’ (not being caught/seen naked, which is something which Jesus also had figuratively warned, in Luke 12:35ff -(discussed later), in regards to the further unraveling of these Final(izing) Events.

                                                           

Matthew 24:44 - "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Luke 12:40 - "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect."

Luke 12:41 - Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?" 

An hour that you do not expect - As enjoiningly seen here, Peter was actually taken aback by the ‘unexpected coming’ statements and parable of Jesus of Luke 12:35-38, 39-40 and asked Jesus if he was ‘addressing the parable only to them or to everyone else as well?’ Odd thing is, is that Jesus did the typical thing that He did throughout His ministry when trying to Spiritual deal with someone: He answered the inquiry with (another) parable. He did not answer Peter’s question head on, but just proceeded to tell (the below-discussed) Parable of the Two (Different) Stewards. This is manifestly because, as seen in the next passages of Luke 21:34-36, which in Luke 21 Olivet Discourse narrative is an equivalent section to Matt 24:42-44|Mark 13:33, it is seen that it is only then that Jesus, here in Luke 21:34-36, more than less directly, answers the question that Peter had posed up to 6 months before in Luke 12:41, detailing the various circumstances which may cause someone to be ‘caught off guard’ and thus not be ready.

            Manifestly, Jesus was thus/here trying to convey to Peter not to get complacent, but to diligently stay on alert. Life would indeed go on, but Christ’s followers should not allow themselves to become, as seen below, wrapped up in trying to live it, and/or become ensnared by it, and forget what they are suppose to be doing in regards to preparations for the Kingdom of God.     

Luke 21:34 - "Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap/snare;

dissipation (=licentiousness), drunkenness & worries of life - It is self-defining and explanatory what unChristian lifestyle, activities & idolatrous preoccupation that Jesus is warning against (cf. Matt 24:36-41|Luke 17:26-27, 28-30, 34-37|DA 633.1-3[2]²).

            But each of these terms have been figuratively/symbolically repackagedly used by Christ in/for His prophetic parables and His prophecies in Revelation to identify and describe the arch enemy of Christ (see Rev 13:; 17:9, 12-14), the Kingdom of God (see Rev 17:18) and God’s Faithful Followers/People (see Rev 17:6; 18:20, 24): the Satan-commandeered&controlled power symbolically called “Babylon”, -(comprehensively cited in Rev 18:3), as shown below:

-dissipation (=licentiousness) = The chief way in which this Babylonian power is characterize is in sensual & sexual overtones (see Rev 17:2a, 4b-5; 18:3, 9a), indeed being called a “whore/harlot” woman (Rev 17:5, 15; 18:3). And this licentious/promiscuous conduct is here directly produced by, as seen below, having become drunk, indeed to the point of a “drunken nausea”.

-drunkenness = The Harlot Babylon not only goes about inebriating the kings/rulers of the earth with her wine which is in her golden cup of abominations and immorality (Rev 17:2b, 4) =(from her wine cellar of false/heretical teachings and unBiblical/paganistic practices), but she also enjoys becoming through by drinking the blood of faithful Christians (Rev 17:6).

-worries of life (+materialism) = Jesus clearly taught that even ‘obsessing over the basic necessities and worries of life is sinful in itself if/when/as it leads one to not preoccuppy themselves with the matters of the Kingdom of God’ (see Matt 6:19-21, 24, 25-34). But this Babylonian power abominably goes even further than that and inebriates the people of the Earth into becoming greedily obsession with achieving the “American Dream”, I mean, amassing as much wealth, possession and luxuries as possible (e.g. Rev 18:11-19; =Rev 13:14-17).

            Interestingly enough, the primary definition of “dissipation” is “breaking up and scattering by dispersion”, i.e. a “dissolution” (=“separation into component parts”), and certainly, even most necessarily/strategically so, this Babylonian power has been systematically engaged in ‘breaking up Scripture’ (see John 10:35b) in order to “pick and choose” what it will follow, what it abrogate/dissolve and change (=Dan 7:25) and what it will replace with unBiblical man-made tradition (cf. Matt 15:3-9) so that it can, like the Pharisaical faction of old, achieve its course of unrighteousness (cf. Matt 5:17-20). And that is exactly how also its (Rev 13:1, 4) dissembling ‘lying and murderous father Satan’ (John 8:44) himself operates (e.g. Matt 4:1-11|Luke 4:1-13).

            And so it is by this “divide and conquer” war against the Scripture that this Babylonian power has been able to institute and imperially spread throughout the nations and rulers of the Earth its abominable practices of: materialism (Rev 17:4a. 18:3); idolatry/self-idolatry (Rev 13:8; 14-15; 18:7); blasphemy (Rev 13:1, 5-6; 17:3); sorcery (Rev 18:23b); Satanism (Rev 13:4; 18:2); persecution&murder (Rev 13:7, 10, 15, 17; 17:6, 18:24).

            And to come full circle here, along these lines of “Abominable Babylonian Activity”, Jesus had gone on to state a introductory/warning parable, (discussed below), to the three key ones of/in Matt 25 in which He warned of ‘an evil slave, weary of a delay by his master, engaging in: ‘eating and drinking and get drunk with drunkards’, and also ‘beating up his fellow male and female slaves’ (Matt 24:48-49|Luke 12:45) =‘(Babylonian) drunkenness & persecution’.

            And further “full circle”, just before He stated this warning parable of “The Two (Different) Slaves/Servants/Stewards” (Matt 24:45-51|Luke 12:41-48), Jesus had actually restated the teaching/counsel which He had previously stated in His Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7|Luke 6:20-49), which was about ‘not preoccupying oneself with wealth and even the basic necessities of life, but “Seeking First the Kingdom of God” instead’. (=Luke 12:13-21, 22-34)

            So the question that Peter went on to pose in Luke 12:41 after the parable of the Expectant Steward (Luke 12:35-38) and the Coming as a Thief (Luke 12:39-40), had indeed been answered by Jesus as He was showing that the slaves/servants/stewards in the master’s household can, through becoming weary of waiting, “apostasied” become evil and (effectively) turn against their Master by acting corruptly towards the faithful slaves/servants/stewards. And in the prophetic reapplication of this principle, Jesus shows in Rev 13; 17&18 how this all transpires with Babylon. Even the faithful ones are in danger of losing faith, apostasizing and thus having the Coming of Christ be to them as the ‘Coming of a Thief”. Hence the warning/counsel to them in/of Rev 3:3-4; 16:15!!

like a trap/snare - By simple, direct deduction, it is evident that “that day” comes as a “trap/snare” upon those who have allowed themselves to become involved/overtaken by: “dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life”...And while it is obvious that Satan would not be able to cause sincere and serious Christians to become involved in “dissipation/licentiousness and drunkenness”, he can manage to entangle them by “the worries of life”. Hence the SOP counsel against such a special/specious snare by Satan through Covetousness in EW 266-269 (=Matt 19:20-21/DA 519.2-520.2ff; cf. Luke 12:33-34)!!

            And, to put it even more tangibly for our day and age, Satan can indeed cause sincere and serious Christians today to fall, both literally and Spiritually, in all of these proscribed lifestyles and activities, through, as discussed here, his Specious greed and selfishness system of Capitalism....even, as discussed here, the more subtlely/passively/discreetly selfish: PhilanthroCapitalism.

            Encapsulating all that has been said here above about “Jesus, the Door”; ‘only His sheep knowing that He is not a thief’, ‘the overmastering cares and lusts of life’ etc: this is all like the abominable, hellbound, swine-consuming (cf. Isa 65:4; 66:3, 16-17) people of Gergesa mostly wrongly reacted to the deliverance that Jesus had brought to them (Matt 8:33-34|Mark 5:14-17|Luke 8:34-37): It is said by the SOP in DA 338.3-339.2 that:

            “But the people who beheld this wonderful scene did not rejoice. The loss of the swine seemed to them of greater moment than the deliverance of these captives of Satan.  {DA 338.3}

            It was in mercy to the owners of the swine that this loss had been permitted to come upon them. They were absorbed in earthly things, and cared not for the great interests of spiritual life. Jesus desired to break the spell of selfish indifference, that they might accept His grace. But regret and indignation for their temporal loss blinded their eyes to the Saviour's mercy.  {DA 338.4}

            The manifestation of supernatural power aroused the superstitions of the people, and excited their fears. Further calamities might follow from having this Stranger among them. They apprehended financial ruin, and determined to be freed from His presence. Those who had crossed the lake with Jesus told of all that had happened on the preceding night, of their peril in the tempest, and how the wind and the sea had been stilled. But their words were without effect. In terror the people thronged about Jesus, beseeching Him to depart from them, and He complied, taking ship at once for the opposite shore.  {DA 339.1}

            The people of Gergesa had before them the living evidence of Christ's power and mercy. They saw the men who had been restored to reason; but they were so fearful of endangering their earthly interests that He who had vanquished the prince of darkness before their eyes was treated as an intruder, and the Gift of heaven was turned from their doors. We have not the opportunity of turning from the person of Christ as had the Gergesenes; but still there are many who refuse to obey His word, because obedience would involve the sacrifice of some worldly interest. Lest His presence shall cause them pecuniary loss, many reject His grace, and drive His Spirit from them.  {DA 339.2} 

Luke 21:35 - for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth.

come upon all - Everyone, including (all) Christians (faithful or lax), will, necessarily (cf. Gen 22:12), be, initially unawarely, subjected to this Shaking/Sifting (EW 270-273) “Testing” (5T 81.1)

Luke 21:36 - "But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

                       

strength to escape - Indeed in the light of threats of destitution, imprisonment and even life (Rev 13:15-17), God’s faithful ones will have to pray for strength to endure all of this (Rev 14:12)...and, as Rev 14:9-11 (cf. Rev 13:9-10) states/shows, their ‘strengthening endurance’ comes from the fact that God will surely avenge His faith-ful, persecuted ones (Luke 18:8) who have been preoccupying themselves with doing to righteous acts of the Kingdom of God (Rev 6:11; 19:8)

to stand before the Son of Man - =Rev 6:15-17|EW 15.2. Only those with “pure hands and a pure heart” will be able to stand then. (Discussed in here {browser search for: “Who Will Be Able to Stand??”})

7. The Two Different Stewards

            As it will be shown here next, the (actual) pointed premise of this parable is most revolutionarily amazing!!! But before getting into expounded details, an explanation of the manifest development of this parable as Jesus stated it, and as it was recorded by the (here 3) “synoptic” Gospel writers is important, particular as this serves to explain the overall/general way in which all of these Gospel parallel functioned, -pointed in the light of the fact that there does exist some, otherwise irreconcilable, differences between these account which most Bible readers general assume are supposed to be written accounts of one story/parable that Jesus gave in also one and the same instance. But that is not actually the case.

            For the next parable, and again: as a general harmonization&explanation template: What demonstratively seems to have unfolded here was that:

-In Luke 12:42-48 Jesus was speaking (privately) to His disciples sometime between ca. October to December 30 A.D. (ca. 6 months before the end of His ministry).

-Then later, during the last week of His Ministry, =“Passion Week”, Jesus, again privately speaking to His disciples restated that prior parable, which we find in Matthew 24:45-51 = Mark 13:34-37, but with various tweaks, added details/specification and edits. It must have been soberingly striking to the disciples to re-hear this same parable from Jesus, and the fact that He was not merely repeating exactly what He had said ca. 6 months before, but was now making various changes, no doubt indicated to them that Jesus was most serious about this parable being properly and fully/comprehensively understood.

            Significantly, though the accounts of this parable in Matthew’s and Mark’s Gospel are essentially the very same story, being at the very same timeline instance, there are significant diversions between the two account. Generally stated here, -details will be discussed later at the pertinent time, it seems that Mark, who was writing from the retelling of Peter, was doing his customary succinct and fast-paced retelling, and so merely gave a summarizing and succinct version of the parable...whereas, Matthew, later generally basing his own gospel on the template from Mark/Peter’s work, supplied missing/omitted details and information.

            Typically Luke, manifestly writing after these two Gospel were done and circulated (cf. Luke 1:2), and writing for his Gentile Roman correspondent the “most excellent Theophilus” (Luke 1:3b), not only underwent the task of further ‘carefully researching’ the/these Gospel accounts (Luke 1:3a), but also would substitutionally explain Jewish/Religious terms/idioms and concepts which he knew this Roman Gentile would not readily (or at all) understand. So in cases when the synoptic Gospels are relating the very same story, and from the very same instance of occurrence, this patently harmonizingly explain any discrepancies that may be found in the accounts. But in cases, as here, such differences are explains by the fact that it was actually two different instances of occurrence that are being related and Jesus manifestly chose to make various updating/detailing changes and edits to the earlier version of his illustrative parable.

            From now on, and where applicable, a “Parables/Texts Harmonizing”: (exegetically) combining verse which groups and harmonizes all of the matching Gospel accounts of a parable will be given and commented on/from.

Luke 12:42-48 + Matthew 24:45-51 = Mark 13:34-37                              

Mark 13:34 - "It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and giving the authority to his slaves/servants, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert.

Luke 12:42 - And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful steward, the sensible one, whom his master will put in charge of his (therapeutic) healing treatment [service], in order to give them their (food) rations at the proper/set time?

Matthew 24:45 - "Who then is the faithful slave/servant, -that is: sensible, whom his master put in charge of his household (of slaves/servants) in order to give themselves their food rations at the proper/set time?

=======================

Parables/Texts Harmonizing:

And the Lord said, "It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and giving the authority to his slaves/servants, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert."Who then is the faithful slave/servant, -now steward, that is: the sensible one, whom his master will have put in charge of his household (of slaves/servants) for: (Therapeutic) Healing Treatment [service], in order to give themselves their (food) rations at the proper/set time?

man away on a journey: Where is this man going?? Well, as later confirmingly shown, the running narrative of these 1+3 key parables shows that this man went away to attend the wedding feast mentioned in Matt 25:1-13...And later returned from it (Luke 12:36 = Luke 19:12ff|Matt 25:14ff). He must have been a distant living relative/invitee as he was to be away for a long time (Luke 19:15|Matt 25:19)... -But back to this present segment of when this man was leaving.

slaves/servants - So are these “slaves” or “servants”. As this is a recurring and foundational character in these key/prophetic parables of Jesus, this otherwise seemingly insignificant question is going to be examined in exegetical detail here to arrive at the specific fact:

            The underlying Greek word doulos #1401 is commonly rendered as both, but there is a technical difference between the two terms, and there does exist a different term in the NT which better represents a “servant”.

            First of all, a “slave” can be considered as someone who is obliged to work for a master because they have a debt (to the master) to repay. Even, as in OT days, Israel was allowed to make conquered foreigners their slaves (as opposed to killing them all -see Deut 20:10-12; Lev 25:44-46) so that they would not become an economic burden/drain/detriment to Israel. Therefore a “slave” could also be someone who works for a master so as to not become an economic burden/drain/detriment to their master within their jurisdiction.

            A “servant” on the other hand, can be considered as a hire employee, i.e. one who is not obliged to serve a master, but has allowed themselves to be employed in their service. However, compared to the status/power/wealth of the master, the servant/employee is not on an equal level, and so it is nonetheless a necessary advantage and benefit to them to be in the employment of this master. And like an employer who does need to hire employees, a servant does have employable skills which the master would benefit from. That is why they would not be receiving “slave wages” for their rendered services.

            (It is significant to point out that this ‘hired employee’ “servant” is distinct from a “hired/rewarded/paid man” (Greek: misthios #3407 e.g. (Luke 15:17, 19; cf. Lev 25:50; Job 7:1)), who manifestly do not enjoy either the job security, or the provided living accommodation that a “servant” does. A hired man merely does specific and transient/seasonal work for a master, and when it is done is let go, while a servant has more permanence.)

            The Greek word doulos has however been rendered as a “bond-slave/servant”. That is how it is commonly translated for Paul’s (usually introductory) use of it when speaking of his ministering for Christ/God. (E.g. Rom 1:1; Phil 1:1; Tit 1:1; Gal 1:10); as well as other Apostles (Jam 1:1; Rev 1:1). A bond-slave/servant is, as per OT provision/allowance (Exod 21:5-6), someone who voluntarily has chosen to continue (or become) the slave of a master even after the debt that they had had has been paid/worked off. That ‘voluntary bondsman” notion is involved in Paul’s statement in 1 Cor 9:1, 19ff where he says that “he is free” but still ‘slavingly serves others in need, even (strategically) meeting them where they Spiritually- lowly are.

            As a “slave” and a “bond-slave” both serve their master for slave wages/accommodations, then that is manifestly why the Greek word doulos can be applied for both.

            Now there is a distinct Greek term that is used to speak of “servant” Greek: pais #3816. (E.g. Matt 8:6|Luke 7:7; Matt 14:2; Luke 15:26). It in fact literally speaks on ‘one’s child’ (e.g. Matt 2:16; 17:18; 21:15; Luke 2:43; 8:51, 54; 9:42; Acts 20:12). This “Servant-Son” is manifestly reflective of how this servant was considered and treated as the own child of the master, and conversely, this servant would serve their master like a son/child serves their father/parent, namely with a reciprocal shared interest-benefit. Pertinently, of the Centurion and his (deathly sick) servant, the SOP says:

“Among the Romans the servants were slaves, bought and sold in the market places, and treated with abuse and cruelty; but the centurion was tenderly attached to his servant, and greatly desired his recovery.” {DA 315.2}

            This shows that the Centurion did indeed consider/treat that slave as his own child (as the Greek term in the Bible indicates. Cf. The distinct “slaves” vs. “son” labeling in John 4:51 during a similar miracle story.). Similarly certain people in the Bible were (technically) considered by God to be such esteemed ‘Servants-Sons’. These are namely: David (Luke 1:69; Acts 4:25). God’s ‘Chosen People’ Israel was considered as His “Son-Servant”. (Matt 12:18 (=Isa 42:1); Luke 1:54; cf. Matt 2:15). Fittingly this term is applied to Jesus, being of course dually applicable (Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30).

            It can also be further deduced that other Great & Faithful Men of the Bible who have been (generically, -i.e. with the main term for slave in the OT Hebrew #05650) called “Servants (of God)” are likewise also at that level of a “Servant-Son”, namely: Job (Job 1:8; 2:3; 42:7-8); Abraham (Gen 26:24) Moses (Num 12:7-8; Jos 1:2, 7; Mal 4:4); Caleb (Num 14:24); Jacob (also figuratively: Isa 41:8; 44:1-2; 45:4; Ezek 28:25), indeed David (2 Sam 3:18; 7:5, 8; 1 Kgs 11:13, 32-38; Psa 89:3, 20; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24). Even the (initially) heathen king Nebuchadnezzar was called God’s Servant because he, initially unwittingly, then convertedly, did God’s Will (Jer 43:10).

            God’s ideal is that all those who believe in Him will eventually become so trustworthy and like-minded (=converted = ‘“born from above” through His Spirit’ (John 3:3)) that He will be able to consider them as His son (Rev 21:7)...And manifestly the technical conversion progression Spiritually is from: (hired man) to slaves to bond-slaves to servants (=steward) to servants-son (=“friends” (John 15:14-15; cf. Jam 2:23|2 Chr 20:7|Isa 41:8)) to sons (=“children of God”).

             So these points will serve to help specifically identify how the various ‘serving-characters’ are functioning as throughout these parables.

giving authority - as the master is going to be away, he has effectively deputized his slaves to function as masters in his stead.

assigning to each one his task  - However the master has divided this authority by assigning each slave a particular task to do.

also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert - This would seem to naturally be in order to prevent a thief from coming into the household, and also to check the validity of whoever want to come into the household, but this is also in order to be able to, -as seen from, and later discussed at, Luke 12:36, readily open up the door for the master when he returns from his journey or even, open up to at all (John 10:3; cf. Rev 3:20).

-Who then is the faithful slave/servant, -now steward, that is: the sensible one, whom his master will have put in charge - Harmonizingly combining what Luke 12:42 and Matt 24:45 have recorded in their accounts, it is manifest that from his group of slaves, the master had picked out a “(most) faithful one”, and had made him to be in charge as a steward (Greek oikonomos #3623 = “house manager”) while he was away, (with all of the other slaves already having been assigned a task to do by the master), and manifestly because this slave was the one who was the most “sensible” {Greek: phronimos #5429; from phroneo #5426 (to have understanding, to think, a set mind/attitude); from phren #5424 (=mind/thinking cf. Phrenology).  So phronimos means “to be mindful, (practically) wise”.

            Relatedly, there is a term in the Greek NT which is rendered as meaning “be moved with compassion”, namely splagchnizomai #4697 (e.g. Matt 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13). This term comes from the term for: ‘one’s inward parts’ Greek: splagchnon #4698 (e.g. guts/intestines (Acts 1:18), heart (Col 3:12; 1 John 3:17), [physiological] affections (2 Cor 6:12)). So it refers to a “deeper, i.e. inward, felt” compassion, -one that one tangibly feels in “the pit of their stomach” or that “breaks their heart”, or ‘causes their heart to beat faster’ or even which ‘rages their hormones’. And it is the pain/feelings which one experiences upon being confronted/presented with a situation which “moves” them into doing something to remedy the problem, pointedly as it will also relieve the physical feelings that they are experiencing.

            However the term phronimos above involves being moved to action from/out of mere (inculcated) mindfulness and practicality. It is not a “pain vs. pleasure” reacting. And so it thus inherently involves a much more “sensible” compassion, i.e. one that does not need to be “triggered” by emotive outward stimulation, but merely from predetermined mindful/thoughtful principles.

            Really the distinction associated with these two terms can be seen by the common difference that is cited between the terms: sympathy vs. empathy. To have sympathy one merely has to volitionally mindfully align themselves with how someone else is, and/or says that they are, feeling. You may not even tangibly/physiologically/physically “feel their pain’ yourself, yet you still allow yourself to be affected and moved to associating with, and assisting, them. On the other hand, the character of certain people requires much more stimulus in order to try to cause them to, in some tangible way, ‘naturally “feel”’ what the person in need is feeling/going through. And such an achieved ‘shared experience/reaction/feeling’ is pointedly what moves that person to act, -but really mainly because they are then also trying to relieve a pain that they too are experiencing.[3]³

            So Jesus was looking for, and commending of, a slave who had, and was “cerebrally”, sensible, and thus was/would be “practically wise”. He therefore was actuated by already inculcated principles and not mere emotional reactions, and so, in managing this operation of the master, would be moved to action and doing the right thing by ‘sympathizing-level compassion’. I.e. just being cognitively aware of a need. Sympathy indeed “tells” someone to come to the help of someone else merely because that is ‘what they should do when someone needs help.’ Empathy-borne action would have had to require a more emotional stimuli.  And so it was because this particular slave was so “mindfully sensible/practically wise”, -obviously just like his master (cf. DA 504.2; COL 69.1), that he was put in charge as the steward. As seen below, in Jesus next parable, the one of the Ten Virgins, that is also a trait that the “wise” virgins have (cf. Matt 7:24).

            Now: That steward was put in charge of what?....and for what?

of his household (of slaves/servants) - The Greek word for house/household/dwelling is oikos [#3624]. But here, a related, but distinct term is used, namely: oiketeia [#3610a] which comes from the term for “house servant” Greek oiketes [#3610b] (=from the verb meaning “to inhabit/dwell”oikeo [#3611]). So this faithful compassion steward was not put in charge of mere the “house servants”, but rather, more widely to a “household of slaves”. Manifestly this is a household which pointedly house slaves as a function in itself. So the master is here actually operating a Service House, as indeed made incontrovertibly clear by the next statement:

for: (Therapeutic) Healing Treatment [service] - the Greek word here technically does not mean “servants” as most Bible version have rendered it. The word is therapeia #2322 (from therapeuo #2323) and means “(therapeutic) healing (see Luke 9:11; Rev 22:2 & Matt 4:23-24; 19:2; Mar 1:34; Luke 4:23; 9:1; Acts 5:16; 28:9; Rev 3:3, 12). In fact, it is in the singular here in Luke 12:42, so if it is to be (wrongly) understood as the plural “servants”, as in: ‘the steward was put in charge of servants’ it would have to only be: ‘one servant’. That clearly makes no sense. The closest that it has come to directly meaning “service” is in Acts 17:25, and there the meaning can be seen to be: “attended to”. Then, as there is also another common term in the NT which is rendered as “healing”, namely Greek: iama #2386|ioamai #2390|iasis #2392. It would seem, by comparing the contextual usage of therapeuo vs. ioamai that therapeuo refers specifically to the healing “therapy”, i.e. the ‘treatment process’ whereas ioamai refers specifically to the outcome of that treatment process, namely the “cure”.

            So it is manifest that it was the ‘therapeutic healing treatment process’ that was the focus of that master’s operation, of course in the endeavor of producing a cure. So that is why the accurate translation is “the master’s (Therapeutic) Healing Treatment [service]”. So the master “business” was running a Medical Service which Therapeutically treated people with medical needs, however, he was actually more specifically here keeping a: ‘household of slaves who themselves were doing these therapeutic healing treatment tasks to help people gain/regain their full health and optimal wellness. This is exactly what Jesus had in mind for His followers (=Luke 10:25-29, 30-37||DA 503.6-505.1). Indeed the “Kingdom of God” that Jesus proclaimed is often directly associated with such a “Ministry of Healing” (Matt 9:35; 10:1; Luke 9:1-2, 6, 11; 10:9; Acts 10:38)[4]⁴

in order to give themselves their (food) rations at the proper/set time - Oddly enough, despite this operation of the master being a Medical Service, the purpose of putting a steward in charge of other also assigned slaves was not here to ‘provide timely medical services’ nor ‘timely dispense medicine to sick people’, but rather so that ‘the slaves in that household can provide for themselves their regular food ration (literally “wheat measure”)’. So this organization by the master was all here for the vital and livelihood benefit of the serving slaves themselves...Clearly the master knew that if they could not, and self-sufficiently so, provide for their own subsistence, they could/would not be in any position to provide the medical services of the Master’s actual business.

            So manifestly the salves would go out, doing house calls, to provide such Medical Services to others in need, and manifestly they would do this free of charge as they would not have this evidently crucial need to be able to provide for their basic necessity, as the master here was primarily caring for. So the master here made sure that this aspect of his operation was secure, that the “household of slaves” was running well, and thus he could be sure that his actual (charitable) “business”, -his Therapeutic Healing Treament service, could and would be done.

            NJK Application/Fulfillment: Not at all surprising, (=TM 116.1), this all perfectly confirms what the NJK Project has been endeavoring to accomplish. As stated in 2006, in this forum discussion (Post #73558), the NJK Project indeed has had the founding objective to be able to help all those in various need throughout the world, as per the comprehensive and exhaustive mandate of the Gospel of Christ. However to be able to do so, the artificially limiting parameters and system of Capitalism would definitely not be used. Hence the need and function of the NJK’s Holy Cities which themselves were to serve as the Economy-generation base for the NJK Citizens who would all be engaged in these Global Medical Missionary works. The NJK Holy Cities (NJK-HC) and the planned (4,000+) NJK Ministry/Mission Campuses, -globally headquartered in the NJK-HQ, were always two distinct, but also interrelated/interdependent Institutions. It is the NJK-HC which sustains the work of the NJK-HQ, and it also is the founding of the NJK-HQ which leads to the establishment of the NJK-HC. The master in Christ’s parable likewise actually has two distinct but interrelated Institution. One which provides an outreach service to people in need, and the other one which provide an “inreach” service to self-sustainingly provide for the Charitable Healing Services-providing worker.... (That ‘distinct+dual institution/operation’ notion was also depicted in the priorly written parable account of this Matt 24:42-25:46 “Final Test” message.)

            And in this parable, it is pointedly for the task of managing a sustaining household of service-providing slaves that the master chose his most ‘faithful/believing and compassionate’ slave to become the “house manager” (=steward) while he was away. And with each of the other slaves in that household having been giving their individual task to do in regard to this collective effort, this steward merely had to oversee things to make sure that everything was being done as the master would want, and that desired product would be that all of the household slaves receive their necessary sustenance at the regular/set times.

            And if in case, by now, you are objectingly thinking that such detailed explanation/conclusion surely cannot drawn from such a simple parable...just keep in mind that Jesus was not here “spit-balling” a parable, but was rather working from an already planned prophetic Heavenly Intelligence template in His mind of what His Kingdom will be all about and how it will be established, and was here merely relating this concrete and complex information in an encrypting parable. So yes, it is to be expected that He would include such precise and loaded details in His coded account, and all so that only His Faithful, Righteous and Truly Compassionate Followers will be able to decipher these “keys of the Kingdom”, and follow and realize this Kingdom Plan (Dan 12:9-10).

            Indeed it is those who have been advancing in Christ’s Latter Rain Light (Rev 18:1ff) who are the ones which will have the “Spiritual Experience” (1SM 25.4) to be able to glean those concealed prophetic & guiding insight in Scripture (TM 116.1).

Luke 12:43 - "Blessed is that slave; the one who his coming master will find doing so.

Matthew 24:46 - "Blessed is that slave; the one who his coming  master will find so doing.

that slave - this is not solely speaking of the steward slave, but (generically) to each/all of the slaves.

coming master - this rendering, which better reflects the participle tense here, is to emphasize that the master is (surely) coming. So despite any delay, the slaves should know that the master will surely be returning.

will finds so doing/doing so - each slave had been given a particular task to do (Mark 13:33), and that was all to be able to provide for the collective residence subsistence of this household of slaves. (Luke 12:42b).

Luke 12:44 - "Truly I say to you that upon all that he is possessing will he put him in charge.

Matthew 24:47 - "Truly I say to you that upon all that he is possessing will he put him in charge.

                       

upon all - this does not necessarily mean that each faithful slave will become a “general manager” of all of the master’s possession, as that would be redundant, but that each will have his high placed position of general managing some aspect of the master’s total possession. He again Jesus is generically speaking of an individual slave, but this applies to any and all faithful slave. So, practically speaking, they will end up having divided for each slave a leadership of some aspect of the master’s possession.

that he is possessing - “possessing” is a participle. It is not only referring to what the master possesses at that very time, but also whatever he will later acquire, including through the expansion of his present operation and increase of wealth/possession.

Luke 12:45a - "But if that slave (might) say in his heart, 'My master takes a long time to come,'

Matthew 24:48 - "But if that evil slave (might) say in his heart, 'My master takes a long time,'

that slave = again a generic statement to any of the slaves, and not a reference to the slave ‘who had been made the steward’ by the departing master. So it speaks of ‘any slave’ who manifests the ensuing attitude/behavior.

            But it is interesting to see that a singular slave as the ‘expected norm’ here. Meaning that, out of all the slave, it is envisioned that merely one, out of self-evidently, many other (faithful) slaves, “might” so go rogue and rebel. Similarly in the related parable of the Wedding Feast (Matt 22:1-14), it is merely one guest, out of many other (complying) guests, who chooses to do as he pleases (Matt 22:11-13). It is evident that Jesus is confident that the people who will be obedient here would far out number any mischievous person who still would not want to follow God’s revealed will. But given God’s granted Free Will, there is always this potential/possibility that someone “might” choose not comply to God’s Will.

evil + slave - In the earlier version in Luke 12, the fulfilling slave is not defaultly characterized as being “evil”, as done in the later version ca. 6 months later recorded in Matt 24. This is not in conflict as a slave who goes on to manifest the proscribe attitude and behavior below is indeed inherently evil. It can be that a slave, even all of these slaves, started out good and were all faithfully doing their assigned task, and only became “evil” as the master’s return was taking longer than they expected. Therefore those who are characterized as “good” vs. “evil” are only those who maintain their faithfulness to the end.

            Indeed those slaves who showed themselves to be evil manifestly were only good based on the fear that their master would return soon. But when they deemed that this impetus was not applicable, then they felt free to manifest the real “evil” character that they had.

(might) say - this is in the subjunctive form. Meaning that it is not that this will definitely happen, but that it might happen. But what exactly “might happen”: That the evil slave “might” say this “in his heart”....

in his heart - ... this is meaning that the evil slave might merely say this in his heart and not out loud. So he may or may not also say out loud what the motive of his actions are, but, as seen next, would nonetheless exhibit an evil behavior towards the other righteous and faithful ones.

            Also that evil slave may begin to act corruptly towards the others without having cognitively made that reckoning in their heart that they are doing so because their master is taking a long time. And since they would be naturally acting this way in the light of this unforeseen delay, even without knowing that it is because of the delay that their behavior is such, that would indeed show that they inherently are an “evil” person.

my master takes a long time to come - this statement is indeed better rendered as such “takes a long time” (=present indicative) rather than a present imperfect sense of: ‘my master is taking a long time’, for the reason that the indicative rendering seems to be impuning the motive of the master himself. Namely: ‘the master has (arbitrarily) decided to take a long time’. Whereas the imperfect rendering would be focusing more on the delay itself, as in: ‘it is taking a long time for my master to come’ implying that the master, through no intention of his own, is somehow being delayed. The present rendering would therefore be finding fault with the master himself, and thus be finding here a self-justification to act unfaithfully as the master himself was being unfaithful towards them....(though no indication had been given in the parable as to when the master would return).

            NJK Application/Fulfillment: As later seen from Luke 12:36, this master went off to the wedding feast of Matt 22:1-14/Matt 25:1-13 (COL 307-319) and that Wedding Feast is understood to be the Investigative Judgement of e.g. Dan 7:9-14; 8:14. So, generally stated here, this speaks the behavior of, pointedly professing Christians, during the unexpected delay by their master, and pointedly towards one another. And since they know that their master, Jesus, has gone off to that ‘Judgement Wedding Feast’, and as it is merely SDAs who know and understand this judgement message, then that “household of slaves” is pointedly SDAs who presently profess, as many SDAs indeed recently have, to (more than less) also know and understand the “Medical Missionary Gospel Mandate of Christ” and have come to that “household of slaves” to act a part in that mission. The first iteration of the final judgement had actually then been completed with SDAs having begun “with the household of God” as stated (1 Pet 4:17 = Ezek 9), and now Christ is going to the Wedding Feast for the second iteration of the judgment, this time for professing Christians (i.e. Non-SDAs). And it is in the light of the delay from this journey, resulting from the NJK Project measure which will have to be implemented in order to aid the rest of the non-Remnant and Unbelieving World, that those SDAs being to act corruptly towards those who are being faithful to be occupied with the master’s assigned tasks until he returns from the Wedding Feast. More on this “Present Truth” development later.

Luke 12:45b - and might rule himself in order to beat the ‘Servant-Sons’ and the ‘Servant-Daughters’, in order to both eat & drink, and become drunk;

Matthew 24:49 - and might rule himself in order to beat his fellow slaves but might eat and drink with the drunkards;

=======================

Parables/Texts Harmonizing:

and might rule himself in order to beat his fellow slaves; -the ones who are (being) the ‘Servant-Sons’ and the ‘Servant-Daughters’, but in order that he might both: eat & drink and become drunk, with the drunkards;

                       

and might rule himself in order to beat - This phrase is an interesting one as it plausibly can be rendered in three ways, and all would be satisfactorily applicable to the perceivable context here...but when all linguistic&exegetical elements are duly, and properly factored in here, the translation rendered here is the most exegetically accurate.

(1) A first of those “plausible renderings” would be as, as commonly seen in Bible versions: “and begins to beat”. That is evidently because the Greek term archo #757 is patently, (i.e. 84 out of 85 times), rendered in the NT itself as some form of “begin-”....all except for its usage in Rom 15:12 where it, indeed applicably/rightly (formally) means “(to) rule”. And that meaning is similarly attested by its use in the OT in regards to kings/rulers (e.g. 1 Sam 9:16; 1 Chr 19:3; 2 Chr 11:22; 12:6; 18:25; 1 Kgs 11:1 LXX). So the understanding of “to rule” is indeed a viable/ valid translation option.

            Plus the infinitive form of “to beat” would put more weight on the prior conjugated verb “to rule” as to what that slave had first done “in order to [be able to] beat” the other slaves.

(2) Now, secondly, it exegetically could plausibly be understood that this slave: “might rule in order to beat”. In other words, the purpose of his rule, whether from the very start, or at some point later, would be “in order to beat” his fellow slaves. In a related extent, this would then mean that this slave is pointedly the one who had been made steward/manager of the “household of slave” as he would be the one who would be in such a position of power over the other slaves. But as stated above at Luke 12:45a/Matt 24:48 it would seem that “any” slave would be able to become “evil”.

(3) But what clinches the third understanding that this slave: ‘ruled himself’ is the grammatical fact that this verb “rule” is in the middle voice in the Greek. This means the subject is performing the action on itself.[5]⁵ So really, this here is speaking of one of the slaves, whether the steward or  one(s) from the subordinate slaves, breaking from the rest of the group, and “ruling himself” in order to act differently (=evil-ly) than the rest (i.e. “go rogue”), and by doing so, engage in this evil behavior of beating the other slaves.

            So it is this third rendering: “and might rule himself in order to beat” which is seen as the most accurate as in involves all of the present grammatical/exegetical elements.

-might rule himself - It is again important to emphasize the use of a subjunctive voice here “might”....Again, as similarly stated above at Luke 12:45a/Matt 24:48, this subjunctive notion means that it is not a definite surety one of the slaves in the household will choose to “go rogue”, and thus behave in an evil way, but Jesus leaves this open as possible...as God’s created beings have, and will always have, Free Will... even in/during Eternity.

beat his fellow slaves; -the ones who are (being) the ‘Servant-Sons' and the ‘Servant-Daughters' - in the account of Matthew Jesus had generally said that the rogue/evil acted to beat “his fellow slaves”. But in the prior account recorded in Luke 12, Jesus had specified that those other righteous slaves were: “Servant-Sons” and “Servant-Daughters”. Again here, this is a “son/daughter” specification that is, presumably merely ignoramusly, glossed over by most Bible translators, but as already seen above at Matt 24:45|Mark 13:34|Luke 12:42 this is a distinct, high category of relationship in master-slave relationship continuum which is just below the topmost level/category of (adopted) sons/daughters. (cf. Rom 8:15, 23; 9:4; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5 = Rev 21:7). And it is because these other slaves are faithfully busying themselves with carrying out their master’s will that they are now here being honorifically referred to as “Servant-Sons/Daughters”.

but in order that he might - The account in Matt 24:49 which uses the disjunctive coordinate “but”, instead of a (naturally expected) strikingly makes it clear that the actual ‘purpose’ of this evil slave beating his fellow slaves is not actually to take some advantage of/over them, as in: in order to also eat from their food/drink rations, “but” so that he “might” eat and drink with other people. Other people who are outside of this household of slaves. Perhaps this slave-gone-rogue was somehow being restrained, even disciplinely so, by the other slaves, and so in order to exasperate them and so be given his release from the household, he engaged in physically assaulting the righteous ones in the household. Indeed he probably thought that such extreme and violent action should surely guarantee him his release/“freedom”. So it was “in order that he might” be able/allowed/released to do this that he resorted to this evil behavior.

            Potentially the other slaves were preventing his departure in order that the Master himself would deal with him when he return, however it would then seem that they, being more numerous than that rogue slave, would instead have acted to detain/imprison him in some room within the household. And also, since when the master does, -even if it is ‘unexpectedly so’, return in Luke 12:46a/Matt 24:50 he does still find that evil slave in the household. And since this behavior of the evil slave may have begun a while back from the time the he began to deem that ‘his master was (deliberately) taking a long time to return’, then it would seem that this evil servant had actually decided to stay put in that household, perhaps in order to maintain his residential accommodations, yet would still be beating the other slaves so they they would let him go out and party with drunkards.

            Perhaps the other slaves had not been given authority in themselves to enforcing deal with such rogue/violent behavior itself, and so patiently endured this and waited for the master to return to deal with it himself.

            So it all seems here that this evil/rogue slave wanted to “have it both”. He wanted to continue to have the living accommodations/amenities from this “therapeutic medical treatment service household of slaves/servants”, but, probably in the evening/night, presumably thus after  the workday for assigned tasks was completed for that day, he wanted to be allowed to go out and party and get drunk with drunkards out there. Perhaps the other slaves just informed him that if he left they, pointedly the sentinel doorkeeper (Mark 13:34b), would not let him back in. And so, he would be automatically forfeiting these inherently-freely (i.e. master-provided) residence/living accommodations and would have to make his permanent residence out there, even with his partypals the drunkards. Perhaps that permanent direct or indirect association with those drunkards was still too shameful for this slave, yet he still really wanted to, not only, party like them, but party with them, at least only in the evening/night.

            Non-coincidentally, He is perfect representation of a Lukewarm slave (Rev 3:15-18). Indeed both have the save “nauseating” issue, refusing to leave their master’s presence and just go “cold”, yet refusing to live up to the “hot” level that their master demands/expects of them. And shockingly enough, even in what is understood to be a post-(SDA) Shaking Judgement phase household of slave, Jesus shows that it is still possible that people then will, from their allowed Free Will, want to not fully live up to how their master wanted. This all is typological (=1 Cor 10:6-7) of how the group of people, -pertinently enough a: “mixed multitude” who Salvificly (=being ‘Passed_Over’) came out of Egypt (Exod 12:38), having witnessed the Great Power of God both during the Exodus and its plagues and in the Early Wilderness Journey (Exod 14-15), soon afterwards began to long after the lifestyle and amenities that they had when in Egypt and wanted to return. Indeed just like that mixed multitude who longed for ‘the copious meals, spices/condiments and meats of Egypt’ (Exod 16:3; Num 11:4-6), perhaps that evil/rogue servant considered the mere food of the partyers/drunkards out there to itself also be more enjoyable than what they, moreover “rationedly”, had in this household.

            So it can be deducingly further concluded that this evil/rogue slave was really vexatiously acting abusive and violent towards the other righteous slaves in the household, not actually because they were physically restricted his freedom and barring him from leaving, but because they had told him of the natural permanently forfeiting consequence of such a decision/action by him. So he began to beat them, manifestly especially as they didn’t have the authority to themselves detain or expel him. So he took advantage of this quasi-loophole and perhaps even thought that such a violent and abusive behavior may actually serve to change the mind of these other righteous slaves and they would begin to see things like he was: namely:

‘the master is taking his sweet time...probably still partying at the wedding feast, or worse, partying with others along the way, so why shouldn’t we also be able to do the same thing, especially as this can only be during the evenings/nights, after our work day is done and our assigned tasks have been met’

            On top of not wanting to be unfaithful to their master, those other “wise/prudent/sensible” slaves probably foresaw how adopting such a partying and drunkard lifestyle, even if merely in the evenings/nights, would nonetheless impairingly affect the work that they do during the day. Surely they would be too tired and/or hungover to probably do their work the next morning/day. So they instead knew and saw that having a whole/wholesome dedication to their master’s agenda is what would help them be in the best position to properly do their ‘therapeutic healing treatment services’....At the tangible very least, the people who they would be treating and ministering to, needed them to be at their optimal working faculties and capabilities. So there couldn’t be a compromise with the “lukewarm” approach which that evil/rogue slave was trying to impose with them.

            And he not only was not going to do the master’s assigned work himself, -or at least not care to properly do it given his desired detrimental partying and drunken lifestyle, but also was interposing himself so that the others slaves themselves would not do their work. And so it the patent persecutive behavior and abusive/violent resort of unrighteous/ungodly people. (=2 Tim 3:12; cf. John 11:47-53; Matt 23:13). Indeed so has been the outcome development of/from the unrighteous, -(both in God’s (Ethnic and Spiritual) Israel and in the Secular World), as they seek to make the righteous the scapegoat for their own failing and unrighteousness, thinking that by doing so, they will be able to silence their smarting conscience. (See GC 46.2-48.3 & DA 256.5-257.2)

both: eat & drink and become drunk - The use/presence, in the Luke 12:45b version, of a (postpositive) article (te) which is said to be “enclitic” is what is conjoining the expression here to say and mean that the evil/rogue slave not merely wanted to go out and “eat & drink” with drunkards, but also wanted to get drunk with them. So he was not merely seeking for a more enjoyable “food & drink” subsistence in this, but also wanted to fully and abandonly partake in the Biblically-proscribed [cf. from in here] fermented/alcoholic-wine drinking and drunkening activities of these drunkards. The food itself of these drunkard partyers most likely was likewise not according to the health/kosher requirements for these (Jewish) slaves, indeed surely including many unclean meats which had been identified as “abominations” by God (Lev 11\Deut 14:1-21).

become drunk - This is the depiction of the ‘ensnaring “dissipation”’ that Jesus had just warned against in Luke 21:34 This is relatedly the evil behavior which makes those who partake of it not be sober, and thus prepared, for their master’s return (1 Thess 5:7). No doubt in 1 Thess 5:1-11, Paul was drawing his similar figurative points from such statements that Jesus had made in parables. And given such thematic/figures correlation, the prescribed remedy of Paul in 1 Thess 5:8, which is the “breastplate of faith and love” and the hope of salvation as a helmet, is most pertinent and fitting, pointedly as it is “faith and love” is the Inspired prescribed remedy for such Laodicean people (=2T 36-37), as this evil/rogue slave is representative of. The ‘helmet of the hope of salvation’, is this hope that their master will not forget and abandon them, pointedly here at the mercy this abusive and violent persecuting fellow slave. God, The Righteous Judge, will indeed, and timely so, Deliver them. (=Luke 18:7-8).

            “Faith and Love, with Love taking the precedence” is indeed what these righteous slave needed to have already have to be able to resist the misguiding suggestions of that evil/rogue slave, pointedly as it is a Love for those who are in need of their therapeutic healing treatment service which they were providing. And the helmet in the form of the “hope of salvation” from their returning master (=Isa 25:9) tangibly served to ‘dampen the blows’ that the evil/rogue servant want to inflict on their righteousness psyche.

with the drunkards - The parable of Christ here is indeed prophetic...and it will later be expandingly transposed into the narrative for the prophetic framework and content of the book of Revelation. The evil/rogue = apostasied slave, who moreover engages in beating his fellow, but Righteous, slaves, and pointedly because their righteous ways is standing in the way of him living out his apostasied ways, is indeed reflective of what (also) went on to transpired in God’s, now Spiritual, Israel during Christian Church History. Then it was the unrighteous ones in the Catholic Church, led by the Anti-Christ Papal leadership, who engaged in persecuting Biblically Faithful and Righteous Christians who were opposing, or merely not following the various compromising paganistic/heathenistic practices and unBiblical traditions which the Papacy was incorporating in the ‘Universal’ Christian Church.....Throw into this figurative mix the symbolism of Babylon as Drunk and Drunkening Harlot, and this parable-prophetic correlation is indeed self-evident. The “drunkards”, including the rogue slave, in this parable are the “Spiritual Babylonians” of Apocalyptic Prophecy.

            Then, the drunkenness that this rogue slaves wants to experience is the Spirit that results from partaking of the abominations and passion of/for immorality in the cup of the Babylonian Harlot. (Rev 17:2, 4; 18:3) and, not surprisingly, as also involved in Christ’s foundational parable, this drunkenness sequiturly involves to the violent persecution of the righteous (Rev 17:6). So this rogue “Babylonian-apostasizing” slave does not want to ‘get drunk with God’s Holy Spirit’, but rather with Babylonian Wine. (Eph 5:18)....And this theme of the Holy Spirit is indeed a chief and overarching one for this series prophetic parables.

           ...And the slaves awaiting for their master’s return to “clean house” of the lingering/choking/obstructing evil slaves is just like in the Parable of The Wheat and the Tares. (Matt 13:24-30, 36-43|COL 70-75)

            NJK Application/Fulfillment: What is depicted here as taking place in this household of slaves between the violent rogue slave vs. the righteous ones is in harmony with a segment of a (Har-/Ar-Mageddon-conflict-involving) prophetic dream/visionary revelation that I had had in 2014, summarily related here. The building that we were then in, -after having just left, never to return, a representative Flagship SDA Church, was a (SDA) College Building and where the University-level researching and planning for NJK Project were being done. As such I understand/consider this University Building to be representative of the NJK-HQ. And such abusive and violent reaction of the evil/rogue slave in this parable mirrors the frequent, even pervasively so, most strident interactions, even violent/deadly confrontations that I had to deal with while trying to run that building’s operation. And contrary to the righteous slaves in this parable who evidently were awaiting for their master to return so that this rogue slave could be taken care of, in my prophetic dream/vision, I myself had to deal with each and every one of those strident and/or violent rogue worker manifestations...even to the point of having to deal with one potentially very dangerous assault (i.e. a tasering attempt to the head) with justified vital self-defense force.

            Manifestly I myself did not have the protective equipment option of a “hope of salvation (by a returning master) helmet”...Manifestly, I myself was fulfilling the “returned master’s” role and so I likewise (i.e. Matt 24:51|Luke 12:46b) had to myself take the necessary measures to satisfactorily “dispatchingly” deal with that rogue worker/slave....

Luke 12:46a - the master of that slave will arrive on a day when he is not watching and at an hour which he does not know,

Matthew 24:50 - the master of that slave will arrive on a day when he is not watching and at an hour which he does not know,

will arrive - the Greek word here heko [#2240] is commonly merely translated as “come”, but there is actually another Greek word which straightly/simply means “come”, namely erchomai [#2064]. While in English the word “come” easily connotes both “the journeying” (coming, go) as well as ‘the end result’ (=arrive), in the Greek there are two distinct words for this. Erchomai refers to the approaching/journeying aspect while heko points to the achieved/end result. Verses where the two terms occur together help see this distinction: Luke 13:35; John 6:37; 8:42; Heb 10:37.

            The etymology of the word heko is also illustrative of the pointed meaning of the words as it is related to “echo”. In Greek this was simply “a sound” {Greek: (h)echos #2279}, however it would seem that the term heko which has the slightly different spelling of having a “k” instead of a “ch” is derived from the nature phenomena of the echo. As such it connotes the arrival of something which had previously been somehow announced, sounded or had been on its way. Plugging in such a notion into the (24) occurrences of  heko [#2240] in the NT do verify the validity of this understanding. In other words heko speaks of the arrival/presenting of something which had been previously announced, and/or had been on its way, and/or was (or should have been) expected.

            This is exactly what occurs here in Matt 24:50|Luke 12:46a with the slave in regards to his returning master. The arrival of the master shouldn’t have been unexpected as the master inherently was expected to return, whether he had expectedly announced this slaves or not. Interestingly enough, in this parable, Jesus does not stipulate that the master had told his slaves that he would return. Yet as he had gone to a wedding feast (Luke 12:36), it logically should have been expected that he would. Perhaps not explicitly stating that, let alone when, he would return was a way for the master to test the fidelity.

            Spiritually putting all these points together, this is of course just like Jesus not saying when exactly He will return, but did say that He would return, thus fulfilling the part of what is to logically be expected. But more pointedly, as the Wedding Feast is symbolic of the Investigative Judgement (Matt 22:1-14|COL 307-319), so this here is representative of Jesus not saying when He will be completing that phase of the judgement (More on this later).

“day ... hour” - this echoes the common expression used in regards to Christ’s Second Coming (e.g. Matt 24:36|Mark 13:32; 25:13; cf. Rev 3:3)....and, as Biblically attested and prophesied, this notion is also applicable with a “Typological Second Coming”.

not watching - Manifestly the slave was savvy enough to know that there were certain days that he should be expecting the master to arrive, and so he was “watching/waiting” on those days. Perhaps the master had established from a prior routine the certain days of the week when he would return from trips. Perhaps the slave had reckon a certain day based on the expected length of the wedding feast, including any possible set extension bloc of time for a wedding feast, and the time it takes to travel back from that feast. But the master would come on the day when that evil slave was expecting.

            This all remonstrates how SDAs are typically engaging in expecting Jesus to come at certain “soon”, even “prophetic calender” set, times. But likewise here, Jesus will make his arrival when they are not so expecting/waiting. And as they are actually not really living up to Christ’s Full Gospel Righteousness (=Right-Doing) Mandate, they surely are in the dark about both what Jesus is now doing and when and how He is accomplishing it in regards to producing His Church Triumphant. (LDE 62.1-2)

Luke 12:46b - and will dichotomize him, and appoint him the part (which is) with the unbelievers/faithless.

Matthew 24:51a - and will dichotomize him and appoint him the part (which is) with the hypocrites;   

will dichotomize him - the pointed Greek term here dichotomeo (#1371) comes from the word dichazo (#1369) which has the meaning: “to cause a separation” (e.g. ‘within family relationship’ Matt 10:35) and the word temno = “to cut” (4 Macc 9:17; 10:19). While the word dichotomeo -[which has only 3 occurrences in the Bible, 2 in these parallel passages in the NT, and one in the Greek version of the OT)], can be understood to mean “to cut in pieces” (see Exod 29:17 LXX) or “cut apart” as for the understanding of a “dichotomy” meaning: “divide into two opposing groups or kinds”. “Cut apart” would be an explanative rendering for “dichotomize” however only if it is only in 2 (opposing) parts.

            In other words, the master is (figuratively) going to cut the evil slave into the two opposing parts of him which are warring against each other. Manifestly the part which wants to remain in the household of slave, potentially even contribute to some work during the workday, and that other “evil/rogue” part which wants to go out (presumably in the evenings/nights, and party and get drunk with the drunkards out there.

            As discussed in the preceding verse (segment), this slave is indeed “double-minded” and is choosing to linger with the faithful slaves, for some, obviously self-benefitting, reason. So the master has to come and (forcefully) help him choose the side that he longs for, the evil side. This is a patent dilemma that is seen in professing followers of God, from the ‘halting Baal-worshiping Israelites’ (1 Kgs 18:21) to the ‘lukewarm Laodicean’ (Rev 3:15). And in such cases, God does confront these people do make a “clear-cut” choice. Jesus also covertly did that with the evil-minded Judas (John 13:27-29). This is pertinently also prophetically seen in regards to “fence-sitting” people in the end (=2 Thess 2:11-12), and then God will allow/send “strong delusions” (=Rev 16:13-14) so that these people will, -believing their lies, pick a side, thus most probably the evil side, all so that ‘these unrighteousness-loving people can be bindingly judged’. This procedure/measure is God’s “sting operation” in order to concretely determine what these ‘indecisive||fence-sitting’ people really want to do.

appoint him the part (which is) with.... - So (figuratively) the master will dichotomize the evil slave and “appoint” him the (evil) part of him which he shares with “unbelieving/faithless/hypocrite people”. The master “appoints” this evil part to the slave, -even if he may not want “only” that evil part, and this is by a default result. That is by the master no longer allowing that evil slave to take/have a “part” with the righteous slaves. So the evil slave is only left with the choice of pursuing his part which he has in common with lost people.

            There is no neutral territory to go to here. Either one is with the master and his (therapeutic medical treatment) work here, or they automatically are with the wicked. It’s the Total-Global Babylonian Confederacy vs. the Kingdom of God. (=Rev 17:12-13, 14). As detailed here at Ezek 39:24, that Babylonian Empire will be trying to implement what is a false/counterfeit/spurious Temporal Millennium (GC 588.2-589.2) compared to the Biblical Jubilee Era of God. (Rev 16:13-14, 15, 16) 

Matthew 24:51b - (in that place) there, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

weeping and gnashing of teeth - whether it is from mere (outer) darkness (Matt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; cf. Luke 13:28) or from the fires of a furnace (Matt 13:42, 50) the wicked in that place will suffer great mental anguish which is indicated by their reaction of “weeping and gnashing their teeth”. But a two Hell-Judgement stage process can be seen, with the first which is from the outer darkness (Matt 22:13; 25:30) and the other is from the fiery punishing. Both cause great mental anguish, the first from a psychological reckoning, i.e. from a sudden realization and “appreciation” of how (actually) evil their existence has been and the second from the sustained physical burning pains in the lake of fire”. (Matt 25:46 = Rev 20:14-15). The Outer Darkness part of this judgement is the permittance to become fully enveloped in the rule of Satan that they were nonchalantly not resisting re during the Shaking’s Testing period (EW 270-273 =Rev 16:10-11). More on this later at Matt 25:30.

Luke 12:47 - "And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes,

            Here Jesus goes into more detail as to what will happen to those who had been thrown, initially, into that outer darkness, both the slave (who knew his master will) and those (Babylonian) drunkards out there who may not have been aware of what the master wanted.

            A few contextual verses later in Luke 12:49 Jesus also speaks of the fiery judgment that He is to bring upon the Earth.

Luke 12:48 - but the one who was not knowing of it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask abundantly more (in excess).

...and committed deeds worthy... -  The “but I did not know” excuse, will not stand. As Paul states in Rom 1:18-32 & 2:1-16 there is a most self-evident Natural Law from God that is effect. People really have to suspend reason, logic, rationality and increasingly their conscience in order to accept going against it.

- abundantly more (in excess) - In His later Parable of the Minas/Talents (Luke 19:11-27/Matt 25:14-30) Jesus would then go into more detail about what He meant here. This is the type of work that the master was expecting His slave to be doing in/for the “household of slave” itself, I.e. investingly/workingly provide for its self-sustaining subsistence, indeed proportionally more according to what they had been given.

Mark 13:35 - "Therefore, be on the alert/awake-- for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning--

whether evening, midnight, “daybreak”, morning - notice that Jesus does not even allow his people to sleep at night as the master’s coming can be around any of those overnight times when most people are either winding down about to go to sleep or in deep sleep or about to awake. (=1 Thess 5:4-8a). The “people of the night” are doubly threatened here as they prefer to do their illicit, lawbreaking and sinful activities under the cover of night so the master will moreover find these people as they are engaged in their drunken debauchery.

Mark 13:36 - in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep.

find you asleep - even being asleep during the night is not acceptable. The righteous are not to ‘sleep as others do’. (1 Thess 5:6) I.e. a deep careless/carefree, unprepared and unwatching sleep. As seen next in the Parable of the Ten Virgins, even if they should sleep as there is a delay (Matt 25:5), they are instead to have pre-pared and readied themselves to spring into the needed position and action at the sounding of the alarm (Matt 25:6-7)

Mark 13:37 - "What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"

what I say to you I say to all - Like at Luke 12:41, Jesus was speaking to both His inner circle and the wider Jewish Nation, as well as the rest of the world who would come to hear (cf. Acts 1:8). All will have to be alert, even for ‘the Time of Trouble which (itself) will come like a thief in the night’ (Mar 270.3-4), The above-discussed company of a “household of faithful/wise slaves”, and the “minas/talents”-increasing work that are supposed to be doing, will be able to live through this Time of trouble.

_______________________________

            It overarchingly can be deduced that this “Two Types of Slaves” parable is pointedly representative of he Jewish-borne Jerusalem Church that Jesus had established on Earth (=Judah Kingdom). The next Parable of the Ten Virgins can be seen as applicable upon the ensuing Gentile Church Age. (=Israel Kingdom) Like the (more-than-less) faithful 2-tribe Southern Kingdom of Judah is prophesied to one day be reunited with the (more-than-less) wayward 10-tribe Northern Kingdom of Israel (=Ezek 37:15-23, 24-28 =Rev 7:4-8ff), through the typological Apocalyptic Civil Warring depicted of Dan 11, then culmination of the reckoning of the Parable of the Minas/Talents (in Luke 19:11-27/Matt 25:14-30) shows a readiness of the Next and Last phase of Christ’s Church Triumphant, Fully-Restored Israel, Kingdom Plans and the nature of the post-Millennial Great White Throne Judgement of Matt 25:31-46 shows that ‘therapeutic medical treatment service’ (=Medical Missionary”) works (cf. Eph 2:8-10) should have been globally done by this established Kingdom of God entity.

                                                                                               

8. The 10 Virgins

           

Matthew 25:1-13

            The Spirit of Prophecy reveals a great and insightful introductory detail here to this parable of the Ten Virgins. It is the real-life circumstances from which this parable was both inspiringly-contributive to, and pertinently triggering with, Jesus. COL 405.1-406.2 reveals that as Jesus was on the Mount of Olives with his disciples, (having retired there, as per their usual custom then, for the night after a day of having preached/taught and ministered at Jerusalem during the Passover Week feasting (Luke 21:37-38)), He saw, and watched played out, and manifestly also heard the verbal exchange of, the entire incident of Ten Virgins awaiting the Bridal Party, which He later recounted to His disciples as this parable. So in this real-life incident Jesus saw the perfect illustration to the various, and previous-stated: teachings (e.g. John 3:3-12), parables (e.g. Matt 22:1-14; Luke 12:36ff =Matt 24:42-44), prophecies (e.g. Matt 24:4-8) and warnings (e.g. Matt 7:21-23; 24:36-41) that He had been given about Him, His Ministry and His Return.

            And in case this background detail may sound/seem strange, even discrediting inspiration-wise, just recall the many and patent times that various preachers have recounted personal and/or known/witnessed real life experiences of themselves and/or others in sermons and used it to illustrate or demonstrate a concrete Biblical Truth. The Man Jesus Christ likewise found such “opportunistic” real-life circumstances beneficial and proper for His teaching Ministry. In fact preachers do get this means for teaching/preaching from the example of Jesus.

            So in this transpiring real-life incident, -potentially variously guidingly orchestrated/affected by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, to develop and transpire in just this pertinent way), Jesus saw/found a perfect illustrative and summarizing representation for what He had been saying/teaching. In fact, with his just stated, [above-discussed], parable of the Two Types of Slaves (Matt 24:45-51|Mark 13:34-37) being a restatement of the parable that Jesus had said ca. 6 months before (=Luke 12:41-48); with Christ’s ensuing Parable of the Talents (Matt 25:14-30) likewise being a restatement of a prior parable said at a private dinner (Luke 19:11-27) and with the “parable” of The Sheep vs. the Goats (Matt 25:31-46) actually not really being a parable/story, but actually a quite clear and straightforward descriptive statement of Jesus as to how He will be executing His/The Final Judgement, then it is self-evident that this Parable of the Ten Virgin (Matt 25:1-13) is the only “original material” segment of this significant final bloc of teachings/prophesying. So it is most manifest that Jesus did find that transpiring real-life incident most relevant, pertinent and opportunistic and immediately made use of it for this apocalyptic (=end time events) teaching series of his.

            In fact (cf. John 8:28; 12:49; 14:10; cf. 16:13), God the Father may have signaled to Jesus to observe and make use of what was taken place with these awaiting 10 Virgins, -and that “word-for-word” and “action-for-action”, especially if, as suggested above, God the Father had been working behind the scenes to have this bridal party incident purposefully develop exactly like it did. I.e. “pulling strings” like: delaying the bridal party; inspiring, if even necessary, 5 of the virgins to take an extra supply of oil; guiding Jesus and the disciples to that very, nearby/viewing, spot to spend the night while on this Mount, etc.

            In fact with, as Jesus said, God the Father Himself having the ultimate authority, and so, (then at least), being the only One to know the ‘times or seasons; day and hour’ for the Second Coming of Christ and His Kingdom (Matt 24:36|Mar 13:32; Acts 1:7), with this parable’s teaching going into detail about what will take place during the delay (then brought about by the failure of the Jewish nation to have readied themselves for, and ushered in the Kingdom, as Jesus Himself initially fully expected (e.g. Mark 1:14-15; Matt 10:7; cf. Matt 10:23 -discussed here), God the Father may have been revealing to Jesus an injunctively added detailing in regards to this manifested delaying period.

            So that all keyly introductorily and “backgroundingly”/contextualizingly pointed out, let’s see what an exegetically-based analysis of this prophecy reveals and teaches:

Matthew 25:1 - "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, whoever were taking their lamps and went out towards meeting the bridegroom.

At that time - While the very first word of this parable can seem to merely indicate a ‘next’ segment, and so is commonly translated as “then”, there is exegetical viability and support to more precisely understand that this specific Greek term tote [#5119], -(which indeed is used here rather than an otherwise expected simple conjunctive consecution: “and then” from the Greek kai) is being used here to indicate that this parable is taking place “at the/that time” when the prior parable, -(the one which was depicting the ordeals of the righteous slaves vs. the evil/rogue one(s) in the Household of Slaves for Therapeutic Medical Treatment Services that the master had momentarily left behind to attend a wedding feast), was going on. The following etymological analysis of the Greek term demonstrates this pointed meaning of that transition term.

= [#5119] tote (then, at that time) adverb

= [#3588] + [#3753] :: to (the) def. art. + hote (when) conj. sub. = “the (time) when”

= [#3588] + [#3739+#5037] :: to (the) def. art. + hos (who, which, that) def. art. & te (both) (encl.) coord. conj. = “the (time) when both of whom/which/that”

            Indeed tote speaks of what is conjoingly taking place during a certain time period. Reading such a nuancing notion into its ca. 154 occurrences in the NT indeed reveals that this is a valid understanding. Tote may be introducing a new story, but the timeline of that story corresponds with the time that a contextually contemporary incident, typically the one just stated, is taking place. So it is “at the time” of the Parable of the Two Types of Slaves (Matt 24:42-44, 45-51) that this Parable of the Ten Virgins about to go into Wedding Feast Banquet Hall takes place. Indeed this parable relates what is going on while/with the master who had left for a wedding feast (Luke 12:36).

            So it was as if here God, through the object lesson from the real-life awaiting Ten Virgins, filled in Jesus about what will be transpiring during that injunctive period of delay.

the kingdom of Heaven - Typically, SDAs, have assumed that this parable focuses on the Second Coming, but it really. i.e. pivotally, focuses on what takes place just before the Second Coming, and during an unexpected period of unknown delay. This is another “key of the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matt 13:11ff). Therefore what takes place here is an element of “the kingdom of heaven”...during the delay....and so one which is to transpire before the Glorious Second Coming Appearing. I.e. during the “time of the end” = post 1844...with indeed the related Parable of the Wedding Feast being a representation of Pre-Advent, Investigative Judgement Proceedings (=Dan 7:9-14).

            Now, most pivotally here, to state the Master Thesis from my variously observed and weighed studies, it would seem that Jesus originally perfectly had in mind to seamlessly effectuate the establishment of the ‘kingdom of heaven” without the need first for a “Second Coming”...and, this possibility of ushering in an, at least typological, temporal effectuation of this “kingdom of heaven” is still realizable today, and that before the Glorious Second Coming (=Dan 2:34-35, 44-45 -explained in here), which really would be as an Emergency Rescue Plan/Defense Operation if, and as likely/expected, when, the people of the Earth would have resolutely decided to not only rebel against that present and tangible “kingdom of heaven” but through physical, i.e. (modern) military assault with the objective of murdering all those who are subject of this reviled kingdom.

            First points first: In Luke 17:20-21 Jesus had said that “the kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed” because “the kingdom of God is in your midst”. Meaning that it was granted to be in the possibility of believers in God, through righteous living, to produce the establishment of a temporal kingdom which perfectly reflects and does the will of God on this Earth. So waiting solely for the Second Coming before acting to help ‘God’s [kingdom] will be done upon the Earth as it is in Heaven’, is actually unBiblical. In short, the Triumphant Church/People of God are to keep working until, through their lives and daily living, God’s will is indeed being done in the Earth, and as that will surely bring Lawless resistance and opposition from Apostates and Unbelievers, Jesus will then intervene to (Gloriously) Deliver His People who then will be facing murderous death.

            This is actually how the Christian Church gradually, eventually, and ‘without military fighting’ (=John 18:36) came to democratically substantively overthrow and take-over the then world-ruling, powerful Roman Empire. Jesus had indeed foreseeingly envisioned/planned that His Kingdom would, through mere (cf. Zech 4:6) unrelenting faith (cf. Matt 17:20|Luke 17:6 ~ Dan 11:45 {explained in here} = Rev 8:8-9 {explained in here}), grow from the seeming insignificance of a planted mustard seed to a magnificent stature which would rival/parallel the height, size, status and importance that the Grand Kingdom of Babylon itself had once attained (i.e. Matt 13:31-32|Mar 4:30-32|Luke 13:18-19 quotingly = Dan 4:12 ... and the Pagan Roman realm was  as known as “Babylon” 1 Pet 5:13). This Triumphant Church/Kingdom only went off course, -as the Catholic/Papal Church, by seeking to then force all peoples within its local and global realm and reach to convert to Christianity, using the former military power of Pagan Rome...and then further went off course by compromisingly lowering the Beliefs and Practices bar in order to accommodate pagans who did not want to fully, if at all, abandon their former ways and convert. Had the Church then remained faithful to God’s Word, it would have seen the successful spread of True Christianity in, inclusively a temporal kingdom which would be democratically wholly devoted to Christ, and in the face/light of this grand devotion “living testimony”, which no doubt would have been honored by God with miraculous assistance, as with faithful OT Israel, then any remaining heathens within this Holy Realm would either just leave it and reside/congregate elsewhere away from it, or would have become convicted and truly converted to Christianity.

            This sequitur succession of events and reactions is all what is to transpire after, and from, the Latter Rain having been poured out upon God’s Faithful People then (Rev 18:1ff; =EW 279.1), as alluded to in the present Parable.

            So when the “kingdom of God/heaven” is cited, it is a reference to a temporal kingdom that can, and witnessingly should be, established before the “point of no return” of the Glorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

ten - As explain in here, this number 10 is symbolic of completeness/totality, and not mere perfect (yet not actually complete) representation as indicated by 7. So this group is not a mere representation, but the whole lot of those next symbolically characterized as “virgins”

virgins - The Greek term here parthenos [#3933] is consistently used in the NT in regards to sexual chastity (e.g. 1 Cor 7:25, 28, 34, 36-38; cf. Rev 14:14 for males). In regards to decoding this symbol, Paul worked to be able to present, pointedly,  the Church (=Congregation) of/in Corinth to Jesus Christ as “a pure [#53] virgin” (2 Cor 11:2). You’d think that there defaultly would only be on type virgin, namely a “pure” virgin, but Paul does explicitly add that specifically qualifying description....Exegetically this expression “pure” (Greek hagnos) comes from the expression for holiness (Greek hagios [#40]) which means: “to be set apart (for holy use)”. So it was because the virgin in 2 Cor 11:2 was “betrothed to one husband”, namely Jesus Christ that she was then a ‘“set apart” virgin’.

            As stated in COL 406.3a these women are called virgins because the (commonly) profess a “pure faith” of Jesus. Meaning that they adhere to a pure set of the basic teachings of Jesus Christ. They therefore all check the “Faith of Jesus” 3-point checklist to qualify as God’s Remnant (Rev 14:12 NKJV); -as the Reformation Era Church (Rev 3:1-6) did. So they may not all yet keep all of “(Ten) Commandments of God” (Rev 14:12), -which are not nullified by the Faith of, or in, Jesus (e.g Rom 3:27-31; 7:6-12); pointedly the Fourth/Sabbath Commandment (cf. Acts 15:21; Heb 4:9), -(being sincerely unaware of the Christian/Catholic Church’s gradual changing of it to, and only, Sunday), and so (=Pro 29:18; Lam 2:9; Ezek 7:26) not partake in the (fullest) “Testimony of Jesus” (Rev 12:17), which is the “Spirit of Prophecy” (Rev 19:10; 22:8-9)

            But none of the “virgins” in/for this parable are “set apart”...straightly because they are not the ones who are getting married here. They are merely acting a formal procedural part in ushering in the coming bridegroom, (in fact the whole bridal party, including the bride), by lighting up the way for him. So these 10 virgins are not “the bride” (which will be identified later..hint: Rev 21:9-10 =the New Jerusalem) and so this is not their own marriage feasting. They are just representational, (but complete in number) key and formal assistance to the bridegroom’s arrival, procession and celebratory event. So though they are virgins (i.e. sexually pure), they however are not here addedly “set apart to be married themselves”. Inherently meaning that: the bridegroom did not choose them to be his bride.

            So if, generally, a virgin in the Bible can be used to symbolized a ‘Church of Christ’ (2 Cor 11:2), its use to pointedly refer to the Corinthian congregation itself would show that it refers to a (congregational) part of the overall Christian Church. And as Paul’s letters initially were tailored for the specific needs of a Regional Congregation, depending predominantly on what particular wrong teaching and/or practice they needed to be reproved amongst them. So, each of these virgins was representative of a congregation and not actually to, as commonly presented, individual believers. It was a collective group of believers which were represented by each virgin. So each virgin represents one (local) congregation.

            A grouping of 10 virgin therefore represents a totality of congregations. As this ‘total grouping’ has gathered for the same event, then they can be considered as a homogenous group, thus with each congregation (=virgin) having the same set of beliefs as each other. Today we generally see such total homogenous grouping of congregations in/with a Denomination. And/But here, as the unifying “tenet” is “meeting the Bridegroom”, then it can be seen that every and any congregation who professes to be looking for the Coming of the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ’s Second Coming) are automatically part of this group. So it technically is not limited to only one Christian Denomination, but to any congregation within a denomination which has such a core/fundamental belief. So this gathering of virgins itself is itself a Congregation. (Which is perfectly representative of how the 1840's Second Advent Movement was, upon whom this parable was first applicable (see GC 393.2-394.1ff, cf. 1905 JNL, GSAM 148.1ff)). But there are more specific qualifying detailing in this parable which further narrows which “congregation” (=virgin) are to be seen as part of this “denomination” (=the bridegroom’s arrival party).

whoever - the fact that qualifying to be a “congregation” which can be considered as part of this (self-fulfilling) Second Coming “denomination” is that an indefinite relative pronoun hostis [#3748] meaning “whoever, whichever, anyone who” is used rather than a simple/definite pronoun hos [#3739]. So this “Second Coming Denomination” is open to anyone....but anyone who “are taking their lamps”. As the SOP relatedly says:

“There are many true Christians not of our faith, with whom we come in contact, who live according to the best light that they have, and they are in greater favor with God than are those who have greater light but who have not improved it by showing corresponding works.”  {CSW 85.1}

are taking their lamps - “are taking” is in the participle form meaning that it is a pattern action by these virgins, even as an occupation of theirs. And as the lamp is symbolic of the Bible/Word of God (Psa 119:105), then, to be part of these qualifying congregations, these would have to be congregations would have to be congregations who are ‘faithful in taking their Bible’...and that in order to meet the Bridegroom, therefore pointedly in regards to the Second Coming. So these would be people who basically have a Biblical understanding about the teaching of the Second Coming.[6]⁶ So in terms of qualifying “congregations” today, we can here (still) defaultly rule out ca. half of the Christian world, namely all of the congregation of the global Catholic Church, as they (still) do not at all have a belief of the Second Coming involving any Glorious Second Coming of Christ. For them, there is/will be no such need for this pointedly as they believe that they will end converting the whole world to Christianity. Pointedly as the Glorious Second Coming of Christ, is, as stated above, an “Emergency Rescue Plan/Defense Operation” i.e. against end time wicked of the world (i.e. the Mark of the Beast Camp) all resolutely militarily assembled against God’s People to murder them all, it is no surprise that the Beast Power itself of that Camp is not seeing in its Theology/Doctrine/Prophetic Interpretation and need for such a development.

            Then, for the remaining ca. 50% of the Christian World out there, all of the Churches/Congregation which hold to the unbiblical, (also Catholic (i.e. Jesuit)-borne)) Futurist-Dispensationalist’s Secret Rapture/“Left Behind” view of the Second Coming, can also all be defaultly ruled out here as it indeed is not a Biblical view. These are not the virgins who are taking their lamps to meet the Bridegroom. Given how almost completely widespread/pervasive this Futurism view is amongst Protestant Churches themselves, that therefore leaves very little Christian congregations who have any basic Biblical View about the Second Coming. On top of Futurism likewise also ruling out Christians who have the also unBiblical view for the Second Coming through Preterism and Idealism that really only leaves Christians with the Biblical Historicism view as those who basically qualify here. And frankly one would be hard-pressed to name a Christian denomination out there which has such a view other than the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Yes one may find individual non-SDA congregations out there who still have the historicist view, pointedly those who may still see the (First) Beast and AntiChrist power of Revelation (and Daniel) as the Roman Catholic Church, but they are very few and far between.. Therefore, it is neither unreasonable, nor partisan (i.e. as myself being a formally-former, now, through a Remnant Church Re-/Trans-formation, “beyond”, SDA member, being the founder and member of: God’s New True Remnant Church, the FSZC, =the Church Triumphant) to see and understand that the 10 virgins are predominantly, if not solely made up of SDA Church itself....By the way, previewing here a later discussion: this FSZC Church here, being the only Congregation/Denomination which, -by its most Biblical Beliefs and Full-Gospel Practices, -thus “fully” (=EW 33.2) ‘keeping the (Letter and Spirit) of the Commandments of God’ and (thus) having the “fuller” Spirit of Prophecy, qualifies as the Church Triumphant which is the “holy/set apart virgin” which Jesus will have chosen in order to become His bride, the New Jerusalem (Kingdom of God).

            So while one may find various, mostly individual congregation within that complete grouping of “10 virgins” which are not SDA congregations themselves, they are very, very few in number having in some way not a Biblical, i.e Historicist, view of/for the Second Coming. Indeed very few Protestant do not believe in a Secret Rapture view and even if that is in addition to claiming to believe in a future Glorious Second Coming, as actually is part of the Futurist-Dispensational view, and that is because, in this parable, because the Glorious Second Coming of Christ Biblically occurs for those who are awaiting him, i.e. Christians, and not for only the unbelievers who (supposedly) were “Left Behind”.

towards a meeting - a noun form is used here [#5222] instead of the verb form  [#5221] = “to meet”. So to be specific here, the Ten Virgins were not ad hocly and randomly gathering to meet the bridegroom, but this had been an organized arrangement, a “(formal) meeting”. Interestingly this noun form “meeting”  [#5222] is used (in its only 2 other NT occurrences) to speak of certain meetings with Jesus (Matt 8:34; John 12:13), but there too these were somewhat formal meetings with the one in Matt 8:34 being almost a townhall-like joint gathering where the people made their will (for Jesus to ‘depart and leave them alone in their swine-raising region’) formally/“imploringly” known to Him; and the other, in John 12:13 is a meeting which resembles the formal one of the bridal party here in Matt 25:1ff as it was for the Triumphal Entry at Jerusalem of Jesus. Pertinently enough, that Triumphal Entry should have been the event which would have officially/formally ushered in the Kingdom of God with that Israel of God generation....if they had been ready. (See DA 569-579). Jesus most likely saw a parallel in the sudden Suspending change of plans which He effectuated during that started procession (DA 575.1ff), with the injunctive delay with the Coming of the Bridegroom in this real-life witnessed parable. (=DA 580.1ff). The people of God here were likewise not ready to usher in that Kingdom of God, as their hearts were not even in harmony with its founding/operating principles.

precise location of this meeting - Insight from Eastern/Jewish custom, quoted by the SOP in COL 405.1-2a [&10MR 204.3], in regards to how such weddings and their feast took place. Quoting this information in list (and added clarifying indications) here it says:

-In many parts of the East, wedding festivities are held in the evening.

-The bridegroom goes forth to meet his bride and bring her to his home.

[-At the house of the bride a company of invited guests awaited the appearance of the bridegroom.]

-By torchlight the bridal party proceed from her father's house to his own, where a feast is provided for the invited guests.

-In the scene upon which Christ looks, a company are awaiting the appearance of the bridal party, intending to join the procession.

-Lingering near the father’s/bride's house are ten young women robed in white.

            So from that historical/background custom information, it is seen and understood that: the bridegroom would go to the Father of the Bride’s house, where she lives, to pick her up. Then they wold both return to bridegroom’s house where wedding feast will be taking place. The Ten Virgins themselves are at the father of the bride’s house and it is there that they are awaiting for the bridegroom to arrive and then to lightingly lead the way of the procession from there to the wedding feast hall.

            That is great clarifying information to me as I always wondered why would the Ten Virgins be needed, but for mere traditional ceremony as I thought that they were awaiting for the bridegroom at the door of the wedding feast hall itself, so at the very best, when the announcement was made that ‘the bridegroom was here, and to go and meet him’ these ten virgins just went out a few feet up the road from the wedding feast hall and met the bridegroom and bridal party which was about to arrive. But since these 10 virgins were actually awaiting at the father’s house and then when the bridegroom came the whole procession would go from there and walk to the hall where the wedding feast will take place, then that does make much more, at least more necessity than mere formality, sense.

            However from the real-life event that Jesus is basing this illustration on, as Jesus manifestly did both see, and hear the discussion of, the awaiting ten virgins while the were at the father of the bride’s house, and then later also saw, and heard, them when they arrived at the wedding feast hall and the bridal party with five of the virgins entered in, but while the later arriving foolish virgins were locked out, then it is manifest, at least in the real-life incident, if not also in/for Christ’s own parable, -particularly as his account seemed to be a mere recitation with very little, if any, “sermonic/dramatic license” editing, then the house of the father of the bride was clearly very, very, near to hall where the wedding feast will be held.

            So in/from this real-life event and manifestly also in/for Christ’s derived parable, and so for prophetic purposes, the distant between the bride’s father’s house and the wedding feast hall is very short. And so the bridal party would have a very small distant to travel once the bridegroom arrived. So this bridal party procession was effectively more than less merely for ceremonial, even traditional purposes, though it manifestly still had to be fully and properly done, in order to duly honor the arriving bridal party.

the bridegroom - of course, as already straightforwardly cited, since it was so obvious. Jesus is the bridegroom...And the Biblical substantiation of this decoding identification is from Matt 9:15|Mar 2:19-20|Luke 5:34-35|John 3:28-30.[7]⁷

Other Characters(+) in the Parable

            At this point, it would be useful to introductorily also explicitly list, Biblically identify and summarily intepretingly apply, all of the participating, implied and related, characters in/for this parable. (As the SOP has recommend: ‘Every specification of this parable given by Christ Himself should be studied’ (16MR 270.3)).

                                                                                   

bride = as already stated the bride of the bridegroom, Jesus Christ, is the “holy city, (new) Jerusalem” (Rev 21:9-10ff). First of all as this bride is further called “the wife” in Rev 21:9, then that indicates tha the nuptials were indeed successful/accomplished. The “bride”, and also “bridegroom”, identification is usually only spoken of in reference to the marriage process, but once the married couple start living their daily married life, they are then distinctly identified as “wife and husband”

            In terms of application, this ‘holy city, (new) Jerusalem’ bride is convincedly Spiritually-experiencedly (i.e. as per 1SM 25:4/TM 116.1) understood the New Jerusalem Kingdom (NJK) Project. (It was actually only subsequently retitled with “New” in order to differentiate it with the presently-existing city “Jerusalem” in the Middle East]. In short, the NJK is a FSZC New/True Remnant Church-necessary extension in order to be able to fully accomplish the Full-Gospel Mandate of Jesus Christ (Matt 25:34-40, 45). Typical thriving (Christian) Churches go on to expand by adding/building an Annex and/or Fellowship Hall to their main Sanctuary to be able to carry out the ministry and mission of their Church beyond just the preaching (also teaching and evangelism) aspect. The Fellowship of Sabbatarian Zionistic Christianaires (FSZC) will have to, and has already made the plans for, to also establish the NJK Project and its Holy Cities, -predominantly to be able to provide a satisfactory residence and life for the up to +65,000,000 people that it will be saving and adopting annually from its Aborting-Abortion ministry. So the FSZC’s NJK Project is really, though by necessity a Kingdom (where Heaven-like Righteousness dwells (Matt 6:10; 2 Pet 3:13)), all part of a Church...

            ...And that folks is sequiturly how a ‘most faithful, and so chosen’ (Rev 17:14) Church becomes the bride (=a “holy/set apart virgin”), the wife...of the Lamb (Rev 21:9-10). And that “Lamb” which is that bridegroom, identifyingly is, -as detailedly demonstrated/substantiated/explained here, is actually the seven-horned and seven-Spirits “little lamb” of Rev 5:6 and throughout the rest of Revelation, which, as inherently an animal (=beast) is also a king/kingdom/(territorial) country power...which other countries have (most shortcomingly/deficiently) tried to base their own country after (i.e. the Second Beast of Rev 13:11ff). That little lamb = bridegroom figure in Revelation is fulfilled by a figure/movement which, as mandated by the Gospel, (typologically) emulates what Jesus Christ Himself would do. (See e.g. this post on Rev 19:11ff).

virgins = As already discussed, the are “congregations (i.e. collectives of Church members) of the Christian Church”. Those which have the basic Biblical view of the Second Coming, i.e. that Christ will Glorious Return to Protect and Rescue His Righteous People, a foundational view that is only made possible to arrive at from the Historicist method of interpreting Bible Prophecies.

            It is these virgins, pointedly the (practically) wise ones, who are sealed in Rev 7:4-8, -which go on to compose the 144,000, with each tribe representing a particular bloc of Denominations in God’s Present Spiritual Israel. The first tribe sealed, the Tribe of Judah is fulfilled by the most faithful bloc of Denominations, namely those who fulfill the Remnant Church requirements of Rev 12:17, 14:10; cf. 19:10) = the SDA Church. Perhaps all Seventh-Day Sabbath-Observing = (500+) Sabbatarian Denominations, qualify for this Judah tribe. Yet only “12,000” could be found from that denomination bloc. Manifestly only the top 12,000 is chosen from each denominational bloc/tribe, manifestly in order to have a comprehensive representation here in this spearheading 144,000 leadership entity.

            Now if the ((practically) wise) virgins are being understood to be the 144,000, then it sequiturly follows that they are also the 144,000 who faithfully and devotedly follow the Little Lamb in Rev 14:1-5. But then, as these virgins are women, it would seem to conflict with the statement in Rev 14:4 which says that these virgins have kept themselves chaste by not defiling themselves with women. That “naturally” (Rom 1:26) would imply that these 144,000, and so the virgins here, would be men. But given the fact that we are here dealing with virgins (=congregations) who are not in any way “sensually” involved with the Great Harlot, moreover more abominably as the (inherently) daughters of the Mother Harlot (Rev 17:5), though they have since emancipated themselves, and so have not ties at all to that Harlot Mother Church, then this all means that these virgins are purely keeping themselves from committing the added and double abomination of engaging in an incestual, same-sex (and also sorcery) relationship with that Harlot Mother Church, all in order to get and enjoy the same type of geo-political favor/prestige, benefit, honor and power that the kings of the Earth are, or had been, getting by becoming so sensually involved with this Great Harlot (Rev 17:2-4; 18:2-3, 9-10ff).

            So instead of the Congregations joining onto the popular world confederacy to have this world-dominating economic and political power (Rev 17:12-13), they instead choose to align themselves with, and faithfully follow after, the Little Lamb to serve him and his bride’s, the holy city Jerusalem’s, agenda....which inevitably inclusively put them at warring odds with the Babylonian Mark of the Beast Camp. (Rev 17:14; 19:14)

(invited) guests - there impliedly are guests for this wedding feast, and though it is not the focus of this parable, it is intriguingly helpful to see and understand here who exactly they represent. Especially as the ten virgins have been identified above as the congregations of mainly the SDA Church. Other Christians/Christian Churches|Congregations, -who again do not have a Biblical, but Babylonian, view of Christ’s Second Coming, may be objectingly wondering where exactly are they then in this parable. Well they are those “guests”. The ones explicitly cited in the related, and later fully discussed, parable of Matt 22:1-14, which is about what takes place inside of the Wedding Feast Hall mentioned here. Mind you, those guests are quite honored and recognized, indeed “blessed”, by the bride and bridegroom, because as stated in Matt 22:3, 4, 9 & Rev 19:9, they are “invited”.

            The SOP sounded the Biblical insight on recognizing and identifying that the invited guests are also special characters in this parable. In COL it says:

“The marriage represents the reception by Christ of His kingdom. The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which is the capital and representative of the kingdom, is called "the bride, the Lamb's wife." ... {Rev 21:9, 10 quoted}. Clearly, then, the bride represents the Holy City, and the virgins that go out to meet the bridegroom are a symbol of the church. In the Revelation the people of God are said to be the guests at the marriage supper. Rev 19:9. If guests, they cannot be represented also as the bride. {GC 426.2a} 

            From Rev 19:9 it can indeed be deduced that the invited guests are the people of God. Then looking back a little contextually, as the Wedding Feast of Rev 19:7-9 is both after, and in celebration of, the fact that Babylon has finally been sacked (Rev 18) and so no longer is an obstacle to impeding ‘God’s People’ who are in there from freely choosing to “Come out of her” (Rev 18:4; = GC 636.1; EW 286.1 -“slaves” explained here).

            Do notice, as per the Eastern marriage custom (see 10MR 204.3), that the invited guests first also gather at the house of the bride and her father. There they are awaiting for the bridegroom to arrive along with the 10 virgins. But these invited guests do not have the procedural task that the 10 virgins have, which is to light the darkened way with their lamps for the entire bridal party procession.

            While the distance that this bridal party is to travel from the father’s/bride’s house to the wedding feast hall is quite small, the actual significance and purpose for the 10 virgins is literally to light up the dark way for entire bridal party. So they do have their importance...but again, that task is not left to the invited guest. Indeed it is not the people who have just come out of Babylon who are to know to understand and explain from (Prophetically) Lighted Bibles the darkened night that has befallen on the world, especially at the Fifth Plague (Rev 16:10-11). That is the task of those who have been given much light before to be able to do this, namely Sabbatarian (Historicist) Adventist = Seventh-Day Adventist. (See LDE 59.3ff; Rev 2:5)

sellers/dealers - (Matt 25:9) The foolish virgins are told to go buy their missing oil from sellers/dealers...but in the middle of the night, at “midnight” (Matt 25:6), there is normatively only one kind of shop that is open at that hour. Those are mainly “convenience-type” shops which typically have exploiting gouging prices as its late/over-night buyers are typically in great and urgent need of what they are selling and so will accept to pay whatever high price is asked for their needed item. Moreover, this oil (=Holy Spirit) for lighting their lamps (Bibles), -dispelling the night’s darkness, was actually given freely to the (practically) wise virgins (John 8:12; 9:5; 7:37-39; Isa 55; Rev 22:17; Zech 4:6), so these foolish virgins are addedly going to be making an unnecessary expense, and that really from the “Babylonian” merchant of the earth (Rev 18:11ff)...which, even when procured, is not only good enough to let them in, but the bridegroom actually does not recognize them. (Matt 25:12). Succinctly stated here, but it will be later expounded upon, this is exactly as when people were told upon the sudden crisis of the 9/11 attacks to “go shopping”....

            As Jesus is the light that is produced from these lamps (=John 1:1-5) and as the Holy Spirit merely guides back to, and repeats/restates, what Jesus had already said (John 14:25-26) and will furtheringly addedly/relatedly say (John 16:12-15) (=Rev 12:17; 14:12; 19:10); all to convict the world of sin (John 14:15-17), righteousness (Matt 5:17-20) and judgment (Matt 25:31-46) (=John 16:8-10). So simply by faithfully following after the Jesus, i.e. fully teaching and doing all what He had commissioned (Matt 28:19-20) in order to hasten His Coming (Matt 24:14), these virgins thus were able to “freely” obtain this lamp-lighting “liquid”, i.e., even if it was “originally/firstly” directly from Christ’s “Living Water” (=John 7:37-39 = John 6:45, 48-51, 53-56 = TM 116.1 (cf. 16MR 274.2) = Rev 21:23).

            So ‘going to (midnight) sellers’ is symbolic of trying to go by the (Capitalistic) ways of Babylon, and paying her (Capitalistic) prices in a futile attempt to know and understand the “Word of God”, pointedly when darkness falls all around in the world, as it will occur upon the Mark of the Beast Camp (Rev 16:2, 10-11) which even these ‘non-hypocrite (COL 411.1a), yet still foolish virgins will also become a part of. (=Rev 2:5)

the father of the bride = A “fatherly” Pauline influence. Pointedly in his role for the conversion of the “Daughter of Babylon” into the Reformation Church, which continuingly led to, through the proper understanding of Pauline Teachings on: (e.g.): Righteousness|Law & Grace|Faith & Works; the Heavenly Sanctuary & Christ’s Priestly Ministry therein (Hebrew 7-9ff); and the framework for Prophecy/Eschatology (1 Thess 5; 2 Thess 2); the Remnant Church and at its most advanced/sanctified/reformed point will have become this Church Triumphant New Jerusalem (Kingdom) Bride (Rev 21:9-11)

            The “house”, and its encompassed, surrounding estate, of the father of this bride however, unfortunately, is Laodicea...But there is hope, [pointedly for those there who do what is prescribed/advised/required (Rev 3:18-19), and thus triumphingly overcome (Rev 3:20-21). The meaning of “a judged people” for Lao-dicea (#2993 =Greek: laos+dike = #2992+&#1349) can actually rather mean [when its members are converted]: “a right-eous/just-ified people” [i.e. people who have, and do, Christ’s Righteousness/Right-Doing]. The Bridegroom has to go there to find/claim this ‘readied/perfected’ Bride (=Rev 19:7).

the master = This is the “master” of the earlier discussed master of the “household of slaves for therapeutic medical treatment services” who goes away on a journey (Luke 12:35ff|Matt 24:42ff|Mark 13:33-34). The journey that he went off to was to a wedding feast (Luke 12:36). It will now be summarily stated, and will be discussed in greater detail later, that this master is actually the father of the son who is getting married in this wedding parable of Matt 25:1-13. As such, this master is representative of God the Father, and His Son, the Bridegroom is naturally, and obviously, representative of God the Son, Jesus Christ also the symbolized “Little Lamb” of Revelation.

            -Earlier that master was straightly identified as Jesus Christ, but as ‘God and the Son are one’ (John 10:30; 5:18b) , i.e. identical in ideology and mission (John 10:37-38; 17:11, 21), then it is not contradictory to now more specifically see this master as God the Father Himself. (John 5:19-20).       

            “man-king” - Furthermore this master is the (oddly-titled) “man-king” who organizes the wedding feast “for his son” of Matt 22:1-14 which is the parable for what takes place inside that Wedding Feast Hall of Matt 25:1-13. That “man-king”, = ‘a paramilitarily-empowered lord’ has both slaves, as well as a (private) army (Matt 22:7). He runs the “household of slaves” of Matt 24:45. This household is not actually where that powerful lord himself lives. He lives in another house, but has given over this household for those slaves which are part of his Medical Service to self-support themselves as they go out to do his Healing Treatment mission/ministry.

            So this “man-king” manifestly has bought the house nearby to the father of the bride’s house for his own son, and this is where he organizes this feast for this wedding. =Dan 7:9-14 where the throne with wheels of God the Father (Dan 7:9) can be seen to be reflected in the master having to journey to the wedding feast hall’s location, and the Son of Man who comes to Him (Dan 7:13) is the arriving process of the bridegroom. All in order to select, from this pool of invited, escaped Babylonians, guests, the subjects for his New Jerusalem Kingdom (Dan 7:14).

Matthew 25:2 - "Five of them were moronic, and five were (practically) wise.

moronic - This translation is from the Greek word “moros” [#3474] which indeed speaks of “morons”. As introductorily discussed in this post, the Bible uses this word to speak of people who prefer to act in a feeble-minded way by patently virtually always choosing to do the easier and less taxing of two things. Whichever is not actually a burden or taxingly, even pecuniarily, costly to them. And as a result of so never have to tax themselves with doing any heavy-lifting they there can, and as it was their, conscious or subconscious, intent can live out a “blissful” existence, as in “ignorance is bliss”. They not only ‘do not know’, the air-headedly/ditsily do not care, let alone bother themselves to, know. They circularly justify this ignoramus stance by claiming that “it is not necessary to know”.

            Frankly, applicably speaking, the SDA Church is rife with such “moronic” type. And this is seen at every level, from the Administrative Leadership to the Theological/Pastoral leadership to, following the bad example of these “false shepherd” leaders, the rank and file lay membership. This is pointedly seen in matter of exegesis. It never ceases to shock me how most, especially Western, SDA Pastors has gone to seminary and got a graduate degree from there, including pertinently here Steven Wohlberg himself, cf. Stephen Bohr, but, (as I commented here), they are still grossly scholarly illiterate and exegetically incompetent...because “it doesn’t matter”, even claiming that just going by what EGW has said is sufficient. Many of them will do the extra work and effort to better substantiate a doctrine or what they are saying but that almost always does not go into any exegetical level in terms of Biblical Hebrew and Greek, and Dissertational Studies. I keep snarkily saying, yet it is not at all funny, that the only contribution to the worldwide SDA Church and its Mission/Work of the Dissertations that SDA Seminary Students do [and then seemingly forget all about them when they begin pastoring] is to prevent dust from collecting on the Seminary Library shelves because they certainly are not being “pulled” to be read by other SDA Pastors in the field.[8]⁸

            At the very least, if, as long-proposed to the SDA Church, it had a WBSC-type institution, which would be way more functional and productive than its Biblical Research Institute which can engage in the bridging work between Pastors in the field and the Seminary-level Research/Educational sectors of the Church, then Pastors would be able to readily access up to date and most accurate Biblical Research information. But they do not have and/or do/function so. The present approach of the SDA Church is like a news organization which sends its news anchors on-air with just whatever news information they themselves have been able to glean, investigate and fact-check, without either having a distinct “newsroom” department which does this news-gathering and verifying work, or worse, does not require, nor care, if its on-air anchors get their news bulletins from the work of an actually available newsroom.

            So that is indeed the preferred behavior of “moronic”. As long as they can, in turn, “fool” other people who do not know any better, into believing whatever vacuous, deficient, spurious, inaccurate and/or outrightly false information they give from their various “pulpits”, then that’s all the self-gratifyingly care about.

            This same moronic mindset and behavior is also seen in the practices of the Church. Pertinently as it relates to “Medical Missionary Work”. Despite the recent, General Conference spearheaded “Total Member Involvement” initiative and “Pathways to Health” program which are also being used to try to do Medical Missionary Work, the SDA Church still “moronically” “draws back” (=EW 56.1) and not seek to do exhaustive work in this area as Jesus Christ mandates (Matt 25:45), thus becoming the “Synagogue of Satan” which will be abased/humbled/embarrassed (Rev 3:9; EW 15.1). These selfish, covetous and indifferent SDAs indeed have proven that they really to not have a (self-sacrificial) love for others, especially others in need. Pertinently enough to this series of parables all focusing on accomplishing Christ’s Full Gospel Mandate, that is exactly as you get rejected by Christ.

            As already cited above, the SOP does states that these ‘‘moronic’ virgins are not hypocrites’, -that is because they “blissfully” believe that they are doing the right thing, but the SOP does state and demonstrate how they still come to be rejected by Christ as evildoers:

“The class represented by the foolish virgins are not hypocrites. They have a regard for the truth, they have advocated the truth, they are attracted to those who believe the truth; but they have not yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit's working. They have not fallen upon the Rock, Christ Jesus [cf. Matt 21:42], and permitted their old nature to be broken up. This class are represented also by the stony-ground hearers. [Matt 13:5-6 = they have no roots] They receive the word with readiness, but they fail of assimilating its principles. Its influence is not abiding. The Spirit works upon man's heart, according to his desire and consent implanting in him a new nature; but the class represented by the foolish virgins have been content with a superficial work. They do not know God. They have not studied His character; they have not held communion with Him; therefore they do not know how to trust, how to look and live. Their service to God degenerates into a form. "They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness." Ezekiel 33:31 [cf. EW 266-269]. The apostle Paul points out that this will be the special characteristic of those who live just before Christ's second coming. He says, "In the last days perilous times shall come: for men shall be lovers of their own selves; . . . lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." 2 Timothy 3:1-5.” {COL 411.1}

            This indeed all also apply to SDAs. They indeed love themselves more than others and so will not sacrifice of themselves in order to do the non-moronic thing. The cause of God calls for exhaustive work and effort in order to get it fully and properly done. This enshrined, systematic, self-serving, self-profiting/pleasing, self-aggrandizing approach in the SDA Church, even from those who know better (e.g. Seminary-“Educated” Leaders/Teachers/Pastors = Ezek 34:17-19) is not only not going to Finish that Work, but will actually damage it, e.g. by the ca. 1200 people who daily leave the SDA Church and do go and tell many more than the net ca. 2000 people who daily join SDA Church, to not to be “fooled” like them by the seemingly “well-built house” presentation by SDA Evangelism because, though it may seem to be built on a solid foundation, it actually is merely an Hollywood-set like facade. (~Luke 6:49). God will indeed step in to remove and replace all of these False Shepherds with His Resplendent Davidic-Ruled Kingdom (Ezek 34:22-24ff; 37:24-28=EW 285.1).

            As the SOP says about these moronic virgins: “They receive the word with readiness, but they fail of assimilating its principles.” Not surprisingly “They do not know God.” (=1 John 4:8; cf. e.g. Matt 22:36-40; Rom 13:8-10; 1 John 3:17) and therefore Jesus likewise does not know them (Matt 25:12)...The people in this Matt 25:5 tarrying time are indeed “stupid” (=“moronic”) ‘as if they are in a “sleeping state”’ (EW 247.1 = 8MR 219.4; 2SG 279.1-2 cf. TDG 171.2, etc., i.e. doing a search for “stupid” [=moronic] in the SOP is quite helpful here)

            As relatedly, and also, stated in YI, Feb. 20, 1896, it is only by investing all of the talents that one has into God’s work and seeking to increase them (=Matt 25:14-30), that new rich and valuable will be discovered’ (=Matt 13:44=16MR 32.2; see here). As revealed ion 16MR 32.2, this is the truth and message that produces the Shaking in the Church. (EW 270.2-3). As the SOP clearly indicates:

“This is the (‘wheat vs. tares’) test. [=PH144 29.2|LLM 341.5] Those who are counted among the wise virgins will let their light burn in good works. [=Matt 5:16] There are many who will not remain at the feet of Jesus, and learn of Him. They have not a knowledge of His ways. Let none rest in the idea that baptism has saved them, while they give no evidence that they are conformed to the image of Christ, [=Eph 2:8-10] while they cling to their old habits, while they exert their influence on the side of the world, and weave their fabric with the threads of worldly ideas and customs. These have not kept the oil in the vessels with their lamps. They are not ready for the Bridegroom. The oil is the holy grace that is sent from heaven, and there must be an inward adorning with that grace, that they may be enabled to stand when He appeareth. [=Rev 6:17|EW 15.2]  {16MR 271.3; cf. 16MR 270.3-271.2; 273.2} 

(practically) wise - The actual/specific/distinct word that is use for “wise” here is most indicative and pivotal. It is the Greek phronimos [#5429], -from the Greek word phroneo [#5426] which means: “from a mind/attitude-setting understanding”, in turn from the primary Greek word phren [#5424] which speaks of: “the thoughts, thinking (process)’ and is the etymological root for the (anciently popular) mind science of “phrenology”. So in short, it can be seen that phronimos speaks of a wisdom that is not borne out of mere abstract philosophying (=Greek sophia/sophos [#4678/#4680]), but out of thought out processing, even stemming from a practical experience. Sort of the difference between “(theoretical) book smarts” (e.g. Matt 11:19; James 1:5; Col 4:5/Luke 10:21; Rom 1:14, 18) vs. “(experiential) street smarts” (e.g. Matt 10:16; Luke 16:8-cf. here)). This surely does not mean that ‘theoretical wisdom’ is bad and only experiential wisdom is good, both are good, pointedly when compared to “foolishness”, it is just that there are two acceptable ways to obtain wisdom, one is from theoretical/experiential study, the other is from having experience that theorized situation.

            As a further illustration, I am always fascinated by how, especially lately, personal computers virtually do not come with an instruction manual as to how to operate it. For people who are knew to computers, it is mostly out of trial and error experimenting that they eventually become very skillful in using a computer. However other people arrive as a similar, even further level of skill from have spent years in College and University studying in the field of computer science. To get the main/basic job done: using a PC, either approach is acceptable. Even the one with “book smarts” will have to get similar experiential experience to achieve their learned skill. And similarly, a person with only experiential knowledge about using a computer, may do some indepth studying, e.g. about coding, if some (especially function-repairing) task is need. If there is nothing to repair, i.e., if the computer continues to function as it was designed to, the one with merely experiential knowledge may never have to get into computer sciences to be just as productive with a computer as the Computer Science graduate.

            That all relates to these virgins as they came to their present mindset and attitude of being “practically wise” through mere experience. Probably, they had already taken part of such a bridal party procession before, and perhaps, during that earlier experience, the bridal party had cut it close in terms at arriving in time for the amount of lighting oil that they had on hand for the procession. Likely the virgins characterized as “moronic/foolish” also had had such an experience before. They would both know that the bridal party can be delay. The moronic virgins mindlessly acted against such an awareness by effectively thinking/saying: “well who cares if he is late.” “It would not be our fault”. They therefore also showed that they did not really care about being able to (properly) do their assign task, even principal occupation. The “practically wise” virgins on the other hand were indeed “sensible” that something may cause an unwanted/unexpected delay, and so were “mindful” and (indeed) “prudent” to make sure to be ready to be able to still function if there would be such an unforeseen delaying.

            Spiritually, in terms of the Second Coming theme here, with Jesus having (already) stipulated what will be the “determinative signaling” of the end in Matt 24:14, any believer who claims to be expecting the soon, Glorious, return of Christ, i.e. an “Adventist”, must have this informational knowledge that Jesus first expects Matt 24:14 to be fulfilled before He will return. It is not, as SDAs have patently been (evangelistically) doing, the supposed sure prophetic fulfillment of the “Signs of the Times” which determine that the end is surely soon, it is rather if and how Christ’s “Gospel of the Kingdom” Commission has been done, and that, exactly/fully/exhaustively as He expects it to.

            As I like to emphasize from Matt 24:14, Jesus expects that the Kingdom that He seeks to establish, will have been manifest as a “witness” to everyone alive then on the Earth. If certain people/people groups have not heard anything about it, or even about Jesus Christ himself, then even a Nuclear Holocaust which kills hundreds of millions of people would not be “the sign of the end”. In fact, this would only set the Gospel Fulfillment agenda back.[9]⁹ And you add to that the manifested fact, that, -as especially Bible/SDA Christians today have seen and know, as discussed in this post (=Rev 7:1-3|EW 38.1-2), Final Events and the Second Coming of Christ has indeed previously been repeated delayed, indeed in terms of haltingly so, pointedly because people were not yet ready. So all this to point out that the “practically wise” virgins here would know that a delay could occur, and they then would have done what is necessary in order to have an extra portion of oil so that their lamps may still be able to lighten the darkness for that later-than-planned arriving bridegroom party.

            As discussed earlier, -and it surely is no coincidence, the righteous characters in Christ’s preceding parable (Matt 24:45/Luke 12:42) where likewise also “practically wise” as these righteous virgins are here. So clearly, it is these type of “mindful”, “practical” and “sensitive” people that Jesus is looking for in these “(utter) End Times”.

            It therefore is no case of vacuous expression and meaningless counsel, as, pointedly SDAs, have effectively deemed it so, that the SOP, -in the midst of a prevailing Theological and Prophetic SDA understanding, even predominantly so to this day, that: “the Seal of God is/is from the observance of the Seventh-Day Sabbath”, has actually clearly and calibratingly (e.g.) said that:

“The decisions of the last day turn upon our practical benevolence. Christ acknowledges every act of beneficence as done to Himself.” --TM 400 (1896).  {LDE 218.3}

           

“When the nations are gathered before Him, there will be but two classes, and their eternal destiny will be determined by what they have done or have neglected to do for Him in the person of the poor and suffering. . . .” {LDE 218.4}

“Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish

. Though ignorant of the written law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law required. [=Rom 2:12-16; cf. Acts 10:34; 17:30-31] Their works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God.”  {LDE 218.5} 

“Love is expressed in obedience, and perfect love casteth out all fear. Those who love God, have the seal of God in their foreheads, and work the works of God.” --SD 51 (1894).  {LDE 221.4} 

Cf. Welfare Ministry 28-64ff...

            Succinctly explained and substantiated here, the “Seal of God” is indeed administered by God’s Holy Spirit. (Eph 1:13; 4:30; 1 Cor 1:22) Yet the Holy Spirit only does this to people who are fearful of, and obedient to, God, and not to man (Acts 5:29, 32). The Holy Spirit’s sealing serves to firmly/convictingly establish someone, “both intellectually and spiritually”, in the Truth (e.g through confirming unctions and/or divine revelations) to the point where they cannot be moved by anything from this Truth. (=LDE 219.4) They have an “intellectual” =Biblical, and exegetically verifiably so, knowledge of the Truth, as well as “Spiritual” experiences, =experiences which are in harmony with the Bible (Deut 13:1-5; 2 Thess 5:19-21; cf. Matt 4:4) which have confirmed that they are on the right path. That is the rock-solid confirmation of/from: “the Law/Instruction and the Prophets” (Isa 8:20; e.g. Luke 24:27).

            And the Holy Spirit will “graduatingly” confirm people as they obediently advanced in steps towards the full light of Truth of God’s word (Pro 4:18|RH, February 25, 1890 par. 5; e.g. Acts 11:15-18; John 20:22 & Acts 2:2-4ff). Meaning that, -contrary to the common mistake that many Christians make, just because a person may have had a valid/Biblical Spiritual/Prophetic experience from God which served to either guide or confirm  them in what they were (Biblically) doing, that does not mean that you suddenly know all that there is to know about God and His Truth and have nothing else/more to learn, or even unlearn, -and certainly not from someone else. It just means that granted you that sign of approval to seal that arrival at Truth, but there can still be further such Biblical Truths that you would have to also become immovably settle in. And if and when you do, then, at that time, God will likewise grant you the sealing unction from His Holy Spirit to fasten you in that Truth, especially as the Devil is then sure, even only from then: Divinely-allowed to, try to move you from that arrived at level of Truth.

            Given the Biblical Truth of the Seventh-Day Sabbath, -i.e. that Sunday was gradually instituted as a day of worship to replace it after the time of the Apostolic Church until that change became formal and official by the Council of Laodicea in ca. 370 A.D., and seeing that that is really the Commandment of God that most Christians do not observe, and given indeed its “seal-like” contained Creatorship elements, it is not surprising that this would be the final graduating step that a Bible Christian would have to arrive at before becoming fully sealed. And yet, as discussed in this post, even for those who observe the Letter of that Commandment, -

observing/keeping God’s Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, there is also, as seen in Isa 58:1-12, a mandated Spiritual dimension to God’s Sabbath, indeed a Spiritual and practical rest/relief-providing principle that runs throughout all of God’s Sabbatical Laws, that they still have to wholly understand and observe, if they are to be actually truly/fully sealed.

            So all this to say here that they “practically wise” virgins are commendingly considered so because they are doing all that is practically applicable while preparing to meet the Bridegroom. And in the socio-economic requirements of Christ for/in His Gospel of His Kingdom mandate, there indeed is a most practical/tangible mandate that all those who claim that they are ready and waiting for Christ and His Kingdom will be also engaged in doing.

            So in summary, the “practically wise” virgins are those who are engaged, or at least willing and capable of fully engaging in, such works if there is a delay to their expected time for the arrival of the bridegroom. Though they may fall asleep, as they do, when later startingly awaken, they would have Spiritually readied themselves to carrying on their work for Christ, no matter the “midnight” darkness around them then.

            So continuing to consistently apply the already observed symbolism here, these “practically wise virgins” are congregations from the most Biblical Christians who during the time of a delay for the Glorious Second Coming will still be ready and able to continuing doing Christ’s Kingdom Work and so serve to light the way for His, still to come, appearing. If, as with the SDA Church and its members (see most emblematically my online/email discussions with one of their ca. 7 Ezek 14:1-11-“half-prophets”: James Tierney), your message is and critically focuses around the claim that: Jesus surely will come in the next few years, given: “Pope Francis”; “Donald Trump”; the “Trump Card” {despite its here roundly debunked purported: ‘The Simpsons show 15-year “clairvoyance”’}; “Pentecostal Ecumenism”, etc., when these potential signs come and go, like long-actuated waves eventually washing off on a shore without having become the claimed “approaching Tsunami”, -pointedly because the needed ocean-“earthquake” did not also occur then, then it is hard to see how you can credibly continue to evangelize people afterwards.

            Biblical Fact is that: Jesus will come when the Kingdom work is fully and properly done...Because it is only then that the Babylonian camp will see it as vital to take the various prophesied anti-Christ/Mark of the Beast measures to try to protect and preserve their Babylonian way of life, and that includes seeing that those who are Biblically not conforming to their World Order suffer want and even death (Rev 13:14-18). It is action-reaction, and as patent for this fallen world: Righteous action first which goes against the widespread course of things, and then persecutive reaction to try to oppose that overturing revolution.

            Succinctly stated here, in my own NJK Project experience, I have repeatedly seen that my approach of straightly “doing what is right” at every turn proved to lead to “being (Biblically) right. I.e. long before I had discovered the many Bible passages and SOP statements which clearly state that Jesus pointedly expects His end time People to be most capable and efficient in also meeting the physical needs of any person/people out there, I had engaged in making the plans and preparations to do so, resulting in that umbrella NJK Project endeavor [equal this: “bride of the Little Lamb”], with its related, and “Four Living Creature Faces”-based, components of e.g. WBSC, the FSZC, NJK-HQ etc, which all today indeed are the institutions and establishment that it will take to fully (i.e. exhaustively) accomplish the Biblical Kingdom of God testimony that Jesus wants to provide the entire world before He brings about the end.

            As it pivotally was during/for His Ministry, Jesus consistently is still honoring not those who (self-righteously) merely claim to be intellectually/wisely aware of His Will, but those who are engaged in practically applying executing it (Matt 5:20; 7:21-23)...whether they even have an intellectual awareness of that Will (Matt 25:37ff|LDE 219.1).

five vs. five - Some have seen this utilized 50%-50% split with the ten virgins as a quantitative that half of the qualifying people/entities here will be found ready, and the other half will not be, however I am seeing this more as a qualitative indicator of for this entity, meaning that it will self-hinderingly equilibriumly be “lukewarm”. And that indeed is how the Final Church Age, Laodicea, is said to be (Rev 3:14-18ff). Meaning that part of congregations in the end would be involved in practically carrying out the Gospel mandate, while the other part would not, not seeing this a necessary due to the “sure, soon arrival of Christ”. A “shaking” event is to demonstrate the crucial difference between these otherwise seemingly similar groupings.

            It is important to note from the “virgins” symbolism that, these are entire congregations, and not individuals. And so, if they are here depicted as themselves collectively having Biblically remedied their Laodicean deficiencies, it is because, within that Church congregation itself, the ‘vast majority of its members are involved in doing the work that Christ requires’. As the SOP says (and in contextual relation to the honing of talents for the work of God):

           

            “Every member of the church is responsible for the talents intrusted to him; and in order to meet his responsibilities he needs to be instructed diligently, patiently, and with the spirit of Christ. This work devolves largely on the minister, but often his work is so slightly done that it cannot be acceptable to God or accomplish his purpose. Talent must be trained that the very highest service may be rendered by individual members of the church. When the churches become living, working churches, the Holy Spirit will be given in answer to their sincere request. Then the truth of God's word will be regarded with new interest, and will be explored as if it were a revelation just from the courts above. Every declaration of inspiration concerning Christ will take hold of the inmost soul of those who love him. Envy, jealousy, evil surmising, will cease. The Bible will be regarded as a charter from heaven. Its study will absorb the mind, and its truths will feast the soul. The promises of God now repeated as if the soul had never tasted of his love, will then glow upon the altar of the heart, and fall in burning words from the lips of the messengers of God. They will then plead with souls with an earnestness that cannot be repulsed. Then the windows of heaven will be open for the showers of the latter rain. The followers of Christ will be united in love.”  {RH, February 25, 1890 par. 6|LDE 193.2}  (cf. RH, June 10, 1902 par. 9-10)

            The great outpouring of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole earth with His glory, [=Rev 18:1ff] will not come until we have an enlightened people, that know by experience what it means to be laborers together with God. When we have entire, wholehearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the largest portion of the church are not laborers together with God.--ChS 253 (1896).  {LDE 193.3} 

Matthew 25:3 - "For when the foolish were taking their lamps, they took no oil with them,

for when... - the virgins deemed “foolish” were “moronic” for what they did, or actually did not do,  and not necessarily for who they mentally are.[10]¹⁰ And what they wrongly did not do was to not take oil with them.

            Spiritually speaking, they thought they had the Bible and its message all figured out, and were thus most ready to meet the Bridegroom, however, indeed as just seen in this post so far, the Heavenly Intelligence had concealed many key Truths and New Light for the end times which only the truly righteous would be able to discover (cf. Dan 12:4, 9-10) from having been guided by God’s Latter Rain Spirit.

Matthew 25:4 - but the (practically) wise took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

in flasks - At this point in his sermon, Steven Wohlberg goes on a protracted expounding [i.e. 30:57-55:07] of how: these containers are “vessels” <==> and these are Paul’s “earthen vessels” in 2 Cor 4:7 <==> these earth-vessels are representative of Christians <==> and this is all symbolically represenstative of how Christians must be filled with the Holy Spirt <==> which results in being filled with Christ and His Gospel. Only there are a couple of exegetical problems here with Seminary-graduate Wohlberg’s take. First of all, exegetically speaking, the container here is literally a small flask Greek aggeion [#30]. In 2 Cor 4:7, another Greek word is used, namely skeous [#4632] and undefinedly means ‘an article = an instrument, object, goods, merchandise) and which has to be further qualified to indicate what the makeup of that it is, i.e. earth/clay in 2 Cor 4:7 -Greek ostrakinos [#3749], but e.g. silver and gold in 1=2 Tim 2 :20, and ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble in Rev 18:12. Indeed while in OT days most articles were made of earth/clay (see in the LXX the generalized usage of aggeion as/for “earthenware vessel” in Lev 14:5; Num 5:17; Isa 30:14; Jer 18:4; 39:14; Lam 4:2. By the era of the New Testament the differentiation had become specialized with the innovation and usage of new materials.

            Furthermore, what Paul could actually saying in 2 Cor 4:7 since the greek word there also can be referring to “articles” in general and not specifically to “containers” is that “we have this treasure in earthen/clay articles/utensils”, i.e. cheap/basic items versus items made from higher quality and more costly materials (e.g. clay ware versus silver-ware). So Paul was saying that the Christian “treasure” looked like cheap items so that the “surpassing greatness” of what powerful things that these “Cheap-seeming” Christians do will be from (the riches) of God and not from Christians in themselves.

            So claiming that the items of 2 Cor 4:7 and Matt 25:4 are identical, as absolutely required to make a prophetic symbol decoding, is exegetically not sustainable.

            Somewhat importantly add to that that the container in Matt 25:4 is indeed small, being merely the diminutive of the fish-carrying “container” mentioned in Matt 13:48 (Greek aggos [#32b]). Containing a “treasure” in a flask, moreover a lamp’s oil flask (=Num 4:9), would seem to be self-discrediting, as only a few ounces of whatever that, forcibly liquid, treasure would be. 

            But the clincher against Wohlberg’s claim here that the ‘flask container’ here are ‘representative of people who can and should be filled in with the oil of the Holy Spirit’, is that He has been identifying the virgins themselves as people...then suddenly he also identifies the oil flask as people, moreover, those same people. Did those (supposed) “people” suddenly clone themselves...Clearly Wohlberg’s symbolism and its interpretation falls apart here.

            And the SOP is clear that the symbolism such parables, is, just like in Bible Prophecies, meant to be logically precise and unique. As EGW said in regards to the characters for the closely related Wedding Feast parable of Matt 22:1-14, -see earlier in the character identifying at Matt 25:1: “In the Revelation the people of God are said to be the guests at the marriage supper. Rev 19:9. If guests, they cannot be represented also as the bride. {GC 426.2a}” So the virgins and the oil flasks cannot be one and the same symbol.

            It rather is that the oil indeed is the Holy Spirit that must be found with each congregation claiming to be Christ’s And more specifically, as each virgin already had put oil in their lamps themselves, that extra oil in those flasks represents an “added/double portion” of the Holy Spirit. And as such, it can be seen to be the Latter Rain portion/anointing of the Holy Spirit and the oil already placed/found in the lamps would be the Early Rain portion/anointing.

            Extending this Biblically cogent symbolism, the Early Rain unction basically carried by all 10 of these most faithful (i.e. compared to others out there) virgins is what serves to ready these virgins to all be in this (Biblical) Second Coming awareness position when this end time delay came, by them having had their lamps giving Biblical light. But when this delay came, the Latter Rain portion would be needed to pivotally continue ‘making (Gospel) light’ with the Bible or else suffer the consequence of being enveloped by Babylonian darkness (Rev 18:23).

            Moreover with that oil contained in those flasks, and with that being taken along in reserve by the practically wise virgins, as the flasks themselves are products of human craftmanship/handiwork, it can be claimed that they represent the “works”, i.e. good works, that Christian Churches/Congregation must also be doing (See Eph 2:8-10)..and all according to God’s Latter Rain unction=mandate. So while the moronic virgins did also carry along (empty) flask (COL 405.2), thus they had good works, as those flasks were ‘empty of this Latter Rain Oil’, then they were at best merely Early Rain level types of Good Works, but this was not what God “Fully” expected.

            Interestingly enough, while all 10 virgins were burning their oil in their lamps, they were inherently shining this Biblical Light of good works (Matt 5:16). But in this delay, it will take those additional Latter Rain types of Holy Spirit-filled  “good (handi-)works” for Christian Congregations to be able to continue to produce Biblical light in these end/prolonged times.

            In other words, while thus far most Christian Churches have mainly been producing an evangelistic light along with some practical good works, in/for this prolonged time, God will be expecting that His people/Churches/body will be working even more and wider humanitarian types of good works. God’s True/Full religion is indeed much more than mere religious practices (Cf. Isa 58:5ff; James 2:14-20ff; RH, June 25, 1901 par. 5). As James 2:20 indeed says: “empty/vain” (NASB: “foolish”) people are those who claim to have faith, but have no (demonstrating) works. (See 20MR 327.2-3ff).

            Added to that, the Early Rain level of good works of the humanitarian kind can be seen to be the various types of professional/paid/relief aid & services that SDAs and other Christian Denominations do. E.g. Hospitals, Clinics, Sanitariums, Disaster Relief. But these works are actually not enough to meet the actual and everyday need of the world, particularly when working outside of the worldly (=capitalistic) policies (=MM 24.5) where people without the means/insurance are not treated. Only the Latter Rain unction impels people to do ‘greater (= actually exhaustive) works than these’.

            Moreover, it is humanistically commonly presumed from the past that as time advanced, the world, pointedly its socio-economic, will gradually improve, however inject the inevitable major “woes” crisis that the Bible&SOP prophesies will come in the end time (see Rev 9:12; 11:14; cf. PP 103.3), not only will this be producing a major economic downturn, thus plunging many even passible well-off people today in various basic needs, but add to that the fact that the Planet itself is in an ecologically degenerating fate, and so natural disasters will only continue to increase, thus producing even more life-threats, pain and suffering in this salvifically-prolonged time, and mix in to that the fact that the population will actually keep increasing, and so that will create even more need, also from the fact that more populated areas, mean more damaged cause by natural disasters in such, and not habitably-prime, areas which previously would have been unpopulated.

            Throw into all of that, the 65,000,000 infants who have to be annually saved out of abortion death and provided not only life, but a acceptable living conditions, then it can be seen from all of this here that there indeed will be that most prominent and necessary humanitarian need that God expects His People to be the ones to, based on His Biblical moral and socio-economic principles, be able to adequately meet....if they are still to be “the Light of the world” (Matt 5:14-16) in/for also/especially those future (midnight) dark(er) times!!

            So yes, God has mercifully prolonged time (=15MR 292.3-4), so that more people can hear His Gospel and Kingdom message have a chance to make a saving decision, but various natural and man-made conditions on this planet will easily produce more living chaos which will have to be dealt with.

Matthew 25:5 - "Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and were

nodding off.

was delaying - delaying or being delayed. Jesus does, and indeed has (Rev 7:1-3|EW 38.1-2) delayed His second Coming, pointedly because He saw/sees that His even more faithful people are not yet truly ready. It may seem better to say that Jesus is being delayed, but as seen for the Greek active, vs. passive voice, it is the Bridegroom who delays things here. While this may have been because His people were not ready, Jesus is still the one who sovereignly makes the decision whether to delay things or to go ahead no matter what. In Great Mercy He has chosen to delay, but that inherently involves that things will continue to Spiritually and Humanitarianly degenerate on the Earth, and that is why Jesus is looking for His Church to step up, indeed step up their faith and works, to meet the increased challenge of these “darker” times. Including for a man-made crisis storm....

all got drowsy... - That is somewhat a natural development, pointedly for a delay which goes way beyond, probably even the previous expected ending of all festivities. The real issue/problem however was not that these virgins had fallen asleep, but that with some of them, they were not able to be in a position of “light the dark night” when they were called to do so.

were nodding off - There are (at least) a couple of ways to say “sleep” in the Greek NT. A first is komaio [#2837] which indicates a deep, “coma-like”, state of sleep. The other word is the on that is used in this verse, namely katheudo [#2518] which actually is the compounding of the work “according to” (Greek kata) with the word for sleep heudo. So this compound word really means: ‘according to sleep’ and is used with people who are either not literally or really, including dead people who are not “dead and buried” (e.g. Matt 9:24; Mar 5:39) as then komaio is used. (e.g. 1 Cor 15:6, 18, 20, 51; 1 Thess 4:13-15; 2 Pet 3:4). Also people who are not in a the normative times, position and/or location for sleep, e.g. at night, in their bed and/or in their bedrooms, are said to be “according to sleep”.

            I would therefore say that katheudo speaks of a lighter, non-normative sleep, what we would term: “nodding off”. Indeed it is not a desired or sought for sleep. So these virgins, did not actually want to fall asleep...but given the stretching time, and at night, when it was then natural for them to sleep, then indeed nodded off. Further research can show that “heudo” itself is understood as “napping”, which can involve taking a formal position for sleep, and kat-heudo would refer to an impromptu/unplanned napping, thus a “nodding off”.

            Also notice that neither the moronic, nor practically-wise virgin had carelessly and indifferently nodded off. It indeed caught them by surprise. They had not here deliberately relinquished their watchfulness. I.e. they did not decide to no longer wait on the very delayed (i.e. up to 6 hours) Bridegroom and just call it a night, and just go home and go to sleep, never caring to return here, in their beds. They instead likely, especially early on, fought their drowsiness, but still fell asleep.

            But then, by no longer resisting this increasing drowsiness, they effectively also acted the part of the group which failed their (SDA) Shaking Test, which is the (early, not-yet-directed, but generally-imposed, “Little Time of Trouble” cf. LDE 143-154) “Mark of the Beast Test”, and which is, as stated in based on this Medical Missionary mandate (PH144 29.2|LLM 341.5|16MR 271.3) and begins to set up the two opposing side for the Battle of Har-/Ar-Mageddon (LDE 250.3ff|3SM 426.1; =Rev 16:15)), by giving in and ‘no (longer) resisting this (night’s) darkness around them, and it shut them in like a thick cloud.’ As such even those practically wise virgins, and more so, the moronic virgins, “seemed indifferent and careless”. (EW 270.1)

            This episode is all allusive to how the disciples of Christ nodded off while he was going through the agonizing and pleading in Gethsemane (Matt 26:36-46|Mar 14:32-42|Luke 22:40-46|DA 685-697), -which was for the benefit of also these disciples. These virgins were as “sincere” as were Christ’s disciples in Gethsemane, but as Jesus said: “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:41). And, like the disciples, the reason why these virgins also succumb to the circumstances around them was because, not having full heeded all that Jesus had said, they here were in a drowsying fog as to what was really going on. (Cf. LDE 66.2-5; Matt 26:46=2 Thess 2:9-12) They did not know or understand those times as Jesus/the Bridegroom did. If they had they would have had the same inner-borne alertness that Jesus/the Bridegroom, and so would have had the, at least mere (anguish-borne) adrenaline, to keep the wide awake. The practically wise virgins themselves clearly knew that the Bridegroom could be delayed, as they had made reserves for such a circumstance, but, it probably was in actually thinking that “everything was alright” in that they manifestly thought that the Bridegroom’s delay was normative and not from any adverse/harmful impediment being done to him, nor even that the Bridegroom had renege on his decision to wed the bride. So, with such an assured belief that everything was normal despite this delay, they therefore did not have the anguishing or adrenaline-rushing reaction in them which actually would have kept them awake. (cf. LDE 254.2).

            By the way, the “company of invited guest” who were also present there at the father of the bride’s home and were likewise awaiting with the ten virgins (see 10MR 204.3), but without having had the procedural “ushering and lighting” responsibility and duty of these selected 10 virgins, probably also all became drowsy and fell asleep. But they are not actually at all faulted. In fact manifestly the moronic virgins did not have the option of just not going away to buy their oil, but then they would have failed at their given duty...and probably that failure would not have been ignored by the Bridegroom. As Jesus said in Luke 12:48b, ‘the more someone has been given, the more that will be asked/require of them.’

            And it probably was because of, as later discussed more, a manifested window of time between the announcement that the Bridegroom was coming versus when He actually did arrive, that they moronic virgins thought that they then could “catch up” and ready themselves. Perhaps if it was not in the middle of the night then, and they effectively had not left than perhaps a lone and isolatedly sparse “convenient-store-type” of seller (=(Capitalism-based) Babylonian ministry) to resort to, then they would have completed their purchase in time. (cf. LDE 174.3; 254.3) But, (no undue offense i.e. -LDE 197.1-198.1), having to go to Babylon to try to figure out the will of God is indeed a very protracted detouring, in fact one which first has to lead to several realizations of error until you may come across a kernel of actual Biblical Truth....and indeed even amongst Babylonians you will find those who have the Holy Spirit’s unction and light in regards to helping people in need (see e.g. here, here and this dedicated post =Rev 3:1-5)...And these are ones who, by these “righteous acts” (Rev 19:8), have been invited as guests to this wedding feast. This Babylonian seller that the moronic virgins managed to find this oil was evidently from amongst those guests/Babylonians who had turned down the ‘privileged invitation’ to attend this wedding feast (Matt 22:8), -(some even murderously so (Matt 22:6)). But this managed purchase was still not accepted by the Bridegroom (Matt 25:12 = Matt 7:21-23), these virgins, given their privileged responsibility, had unacceptably failed at their duty, pointedly in being ready to lighten up and lead the way into this Banquet Hall for this Wedding Feast. (=LDE 175.1)

            Also, as the 10 virgins (more than less) accidentally had nodded off, their last awareness was either that they were being very watchful, and/or, if they were fighting their drowsiness, that they really wanted to be watchful, and then, as they likely unwillingly suddenly just fell asleep, their only consciousness that they had fallen asleep will come when they will be suddenly awaken by the midnight cry. Only then will they realize that for possibly hours now, they had failed to be watchful and fallen asleep. And they possibly only then also realized that their lamps had gone out while they were sleeping. Manifestly it was not their will or practice to put out their lamp while they waited until the Bridegroom arrived. They could thus have saved their (Early Rain) oil for later. But manifestly the night and their desire to seem and indeed be seen to be immediate ready to greet the Bridegroom (who they moreover thought would appear “soon” and “at the expected time”), made them keep their lamps burning to light up that evening/early night.

            Indeed given the proper influx of an adrenaline rising situation, one can then successfully fight off drowsiness and sleep, so they manifestly did not have such a stimulus...Their own stimulus, that the Bridegroom was coming seemed good enough for them, but evidently it was not. It is only when the midnight cry was sounded that they would then realize this inadequacy.

            Also, the ten virgins manifestly all fell asleep at the same time as it doesn’t say that one of them tried to keep another/others who they would see getting drowsy, or even get one having already nodded off, to awake. So none of them were in a better condition to help each other out.

            So these Biblical Second Coming-awaiting, Laodicean congregations are indeed none hypocrites. They are sincere in their consciousness and conscience, but still it is inherently critically deficient and insufficient. They still fail to dutifully remain awake while the Bridegroom is delaying, and, only the upcoming midnight cry will awaken them from this sleep.

            One damage that is done here is really that the moronic virgins could not get the heads up potentially in time to realize that they can run out of oil and therefore go and buy extra oil, and possibly still be back in time to welcome the Bridegroom. So their drowsiness produced a loss to their own grouping by the half of them which were not properly prepared to end up being loss. That’s not being one’s brother’s keeper.

            But the other damage here is to the Bridegroom procession itself, as its planned depiction was literally curtailed in half by only half of the “contracted” virgins being ready to do their fore-lighting of the way duties.

            All of these above insights are really self-explanatory in regards to the costly deficient state of, pointedly the SDA Church. Their lack of corporate “brother’s keeping” uniformity/preparedness not only cause damage to themselves and their organization, but also cheapens the appearing, procession and entry of the “Little Lamb Bridegroom” (Rev 21:9-10).

            Indeed the NJK Project would long have been most strikingly realized and established, if the SDA Church was not irremediably in their stupefying Laodicean conditions. So it will now have to still be accomplish with less, even if any assistance from such best prepared Churches. Frankly the Bridegroom should just “projectilely” dispense with the whole Laodicean lot of them. But clearly, it is better than nothing. And so like the True Witness does in Rev 3:20 going door-to-door to find people to work with is the approach which will be taken.

            This is really more to save/spare Laodiceans, as the corresponding OT Apocalypse” prophetic statement at Dan 11:29-30a, which, as seen in its Revelation paralleling charting, it corresponds to the period of the 7 Plagues of Revelation, shows that then, the King of the North (=the Little Lamb/Bridegroom) figure, will, with material support, then enter this realm of the King of the South (=the SDA Church), and things will turn out differently than they did in previous entry efforts.

_____________________________

Sleeping in the Light

            Talk about: “sleeping in the light” [as th elate Christian singer Keith Green {cf. his role in my ministering-founding experience} would sing {cf. his role in my ministering-launching sermon}. This period that the ten virgins have nodded of in, -indeed even including the (more than less none)  practically wise ones, which technically is up to ca. 6 hours (i.e. from ca. evening (6PM) or later to ca. “midnight” (12AM)) is actually the period when the Fourth Angel is beginning his work of Calling God’s People out of Babylon and “Lighting Up” the world with the Fullest Third Angel’s Message (Rev 18:1ff), -which is a message which combines the most Biblical understood: First, Second and Third Angel’s Messages (GH, March 1, 1900 par. 1-3), as the Biblical Loud Cry and all reflective of the “Righteousness (=Right-Doing) of Christ” (LDE 194.4-200.4). But while this work is going on, i.e. in the internet-released posts of this Theological Views Blog, those the virgins, indeed also the ones who have come to know and somewhat practice better, (i.e. SDAs presently now organizedly involved in doing some form of (more than less none) Medical Missionary-type of work), are none the less being drowsy and nodding off, as to what is actually currently prophetically going on, which is what explains why the Glorious Second Coming of Christ has indeed been put off as time has been prolonged.

            Once the warning message of this Fourth Angel has been given (Rev 18:2-8), then the decreed judgement of this Babylon will come (Rev 18:9-20, 21-24). And as this executed judgement occurs before the Lamb’s (=Bridegroom’s) wedding feasting (Rev 19:7-9), and with passage focusing on the various preparations and invitations for this feasting, -pointedly celebrating the fact that the bride (=New Jerusalem Kingdom) is now readied, but all before the Second Coming event of Rev 19:11ff) then, as next discussed, this time of sleeping by these ten virgins, is indeed the time when an ‘Authoritative and Great Light’ (=Rev 18:1) is being dispersed about a Coming Crisis Storm Event, -one prior to the arrival of the bridegroom, which will be that startling (pre-)announcement that Bridegroom is about to make His Appearance. (Rev 19:11-16ff).

            So it should be kept in mind here that Rev 18:1 begins to take place here, as the ten virgins are drowsy and then nodding off, and so they remain not fully conscious/alert, thus cognizant, about this fulfilling Loud Cry sounding.

9. The Crisis Storm

                       

Matthew 25:6  - "But at midnight an outcry had come: 'Behold, the bridegroom! Make yourselves come out towards a Meeting.'

But at midnight - From this point in his sermon [59:25ff], Steven Wohlberg begins to expound upon what here (basically rightly) sees here as a crisis event which awakens the ten virgins out of their sleep as he notices that this startling message takes place sometime before the actual appearing/arrival of the Bridegroom (Matt 25:10). Wohlberg doesn’t go on to say what exactly he sees/think this awakening “quick succession” event will be. As he gave this sermon on Dec 5, 2015, perhaps he is now seeing that event as what he later discovered, in 2016 -discussed, and corrected, in here, in regards to the SOP prophesied “Balls of Fire” striking of (supposedly pointedly) Nashville, TN.

            If one is familiar with the endtime scenario/timeline and statement of the SOP, the mentions of “midnight” here, which are thematically closely linked to the Second Coming event, cannot but seem to be matching the ‘captivity-turning deliverance at midnight, by God of His faithfully enduring people’ mentioned in GC 635-636. This all does occur some time before the Second Coming event (GC 640.3). As already variously validated in this blog, my view on all of this is that, as this is a “prolonged time”, these SOP prophetic statements will first have a typological/Spiritual fulfillment before they have their literalistic fulfilment at the (post-“Plan A” Jubilee Millennium) Ultimate End. So this Second Coming Event also will first have had a typological application, and so will this (new) “Midnight Cry” event. Wohlberg/SDAs may see this as the “Balls of Fire” event, and they are thematically right about that. But in terms of how exactly it will be fulfilled, it now will not be according a naturalistic/literalistic way (i.e. meteoroid like masses catastrophically striking the Earth, -which is part of the “Emergency Rescue Plan B”), but instead to an “in spirit” one, which, as priorly mentioned here, will be, to put it plainly, -and as exegetically corroborated below in the related statement of Matt 22:7, a 9/11 II event, on which dwarfs the original 9/11/01 event. (=The Fifth Trumpet’s (First) Woe (see Rev 9:12) & The Fifth Plague’s “Darkness” (Rev 16:10-11)). (cf. =3SM 426.1) The Fifth Trumpet centrally involves God’s instrument of scourge for Babylon: Militant Islam, so it should be expected to see the re-application of this theme in its corresponding Fifth Plague....In Prophetic Development Fact, what occurred on 9/11/2001 can be seen as the opening salvo “First Plague” which produces an unhealing “loathsome and malignant sore” upon the Mark of the Beast camp (Rev 16:2). Indeed an ‘unhealing wound/sore’ (i.e. the 2001+ ongoing = unwinnable “War on Terror” which lasts right into, and through, this heightening Fifth Plague (Rev 16:11)*

           

an outcry had come - It is strange to find this statement in the Greek perfect tense. This is used to indicate that an action begun in the past, now has come to be completed, and the main focus is on the resulting/completed state. So this makes it sound/seem that someone had been crying out either for some time now and/or for some distance before this point: “Behold, the bridegroom”, and/but it is just now that this cry is audibly first heard by the group of the ten virgins (and the wedding guests).

            Perhaps it is the time for this normative preparation time which had finally come, but the text here seems to cite pointedly the “outcry” itself and not its ‘(due) time.’ So manifestly, this cry was being sounded for a while now and it here finally reached the hearing (range) of the sleeping virgins. It could very well be that this messenger had been sent ahead of time by the Bridegroom when he had begun his approach so that, since he had delayed things here, people could get ready. Indeed this messenger does make his announcement a while before the Bridegroom does arrive. So he likely did get this earlier/pre-dispatched, “forerunning” mission, in order to make sure that everyone was ready. And perhaps to make sure that everyone would be ready, as he neared the general range/area where the invited guest and the procession party were to gather, he began making this outcry and it now had awakeningly also reached the ears of the sleeping virgins.

            It actually can be understood that this “outcry” which deliberately precedes the actual arrival of the Bridegroom by some significant time is the Loud Cry of the Third Angel’s Message, the one which is warning the invited guests and the ten virgins to “demark” themselves from Babylon, by being properly ready to meet the Bridegroom.

The invited guest and virgins had gathered at the house of the father of the bride, where the bride also is. As already discussed, that bride is the (enthroning-triumphing (Rev 3:21) Little Lamb’s rewarding (=Rev 5:9-10)) New Jerusalem (Rev 21:9-10) Kingdom (Rev 15:2) [Project] (cf. Rev 11:15). That bride, priorly also one of the virgins (=SDA), but which had been set apart and had made herself ready for this wedding (Rev 19:8), inherently has the lineage of being a (now emancipated) daughter of the Harlot (self-called:) “Queen” Babylon (Rev 17:5; 18:7). Her father then would be the manifestly separated husband of the Harlot (self-called:) “Queen” Babylon. This Harlot “Queen” has been (sensually/immorally) unfaithful to this husband with the kings of the Earth (Rev 17:2; 18:3) by seeking to gain political power. Manifestly seeing that her husband did not want to procure such political power and economical wealth, she set out to do so on her own, and in her own way. Manifestly her father wanted to arrive at such power in a Biblical Way, by betrothing this virgin to Christ. (2 Cor 11:2). Paul did indeed consider himself a father to the (faithful) Church (1 Thess 2:11; 1 Cor 4:14). So he actually was indeed merely a father-figure to this righteous bride daughter. So that then does not make Paul the (physical) husband of the “Babylonian Harlot Mother”.

            What occurred here is that that Harlot Mother had likewise first been the daughter of this father-figure Paul, but then she broke away from that father-daughter relationship/authority and went on her own way to think and do whatever she thought was right. This is the development of the Gentile Christian/NT Church that Paul (along with the other “father-figuring” disciples; e.g. 1 John 2:1, 12, 28 etc) served to establish. She thus went into their Baylonian apostasy. During that time she had a daughter, but that daughter upon hearing of her mother’s childhood story, at an early age, chose to put herself under the figurative fatherhood authority of this Paul (=the Reformation Church (Rev 3:1-5)) then when she grew up (=the (Davidic) Remant Church (Rev 3:6-13)) she came to make herself ready to become the bride of the one which Paul had said she could/would marry, namely the Bridegroom Jesus Christ. So though Paul was effectively the “grand-father” of that daughter, she had chosen him to be her father-figure.

            This applies to the Ten Virgin parable here by showing this gathering of the virgins and the invited guests at the father of the bride’s house represents a Pauline meeting of minds of the virgin congregations and those Babylon-escapee invited guests. Much of the division in the Christian world today does come from pointedly the misinterpreting of the “hard to understand” Pauline Writings (2 Pet 3:15-16). Ecumenical efforts, e.g. between Catholics and Protestants indeed revolve around trying to harmonize their differing views from these writings. But here is a true/Biblical ecumenical meeting, pointedly one where, at this stage, Sabbatarians and/or Sabbatical Ministering Works people have a common ground.

            So in summary, this betrothed daughter is one which has finally been able to allow her chosen father-figure Paul to realize this wish to have a daughter who has become ready to become more than a Church, to become the (New Jerusalem) bride of Christ.

Make yourselves come out - As it is not certain that this is what will take place, given the delay and lateness of the time, possibly producing a non-interest in the invited guests and the processional party, an imperative mood is used to urge these people to ‘make themselves come out’. They indeed have to make this decision and action out of their own volition.

towards a Meeting - the construction here manifestly seemed so odd to Greek Manuscript transcribers that the word “him” was appended at the end in some manuscripts. But the text does actually say: “towards a meeting (=a noun not a verb: =“to meet”), nor an infinitive (=“in order to meet”)). It rather refers to an appointment-type meeting, one that both sides were agreed to have. So the invited guests and virgins are not to haphazardly gather about to meet the approaching bridegroom, but instead “fall into formal lines”, i.e. the way they are going to be for the bridal procession. Clearly, on top of wanted to look organized and ready even before the Bridegroom has actually show up, no more time should be wasted, especially given the lateness of the night by now.

            Unmistakable sign of Bridegroom’s Coming - Spiritually speaking, it is intriguing to note that Jesus had just said in Matt 24:23-28|Mark 13:21-23|Luke 17:23-24 to not be led astray or follow after people who would come and make announcements about His Coming before it actually does. That of course is because His Coming will be visible to any and all just as ‘lightning flashes from the East to the West’. But here in this parable is someone making such an announcement and telling people to “come out towards a meeting”.[11]¹¹  The Spiritual relation here is that, if this “pre-announcement” in this parable is a special valid sign of Bridegroom presence, and in the form of a Crisis Storm event which is to awaken these sleeping virgins, and also the invited guests, into ‘falling into line/formation’ to ready themselves for the arrival of the Bridegroom, then how does it not qualify as a false sign/call? The answer is that it will have to, as Jesus had said, likewise be “unmistakeable”, i.e. self-evident.

            From the symbolism involved here, namely “lightning”, it could be determined what will be that ‘valid, self-evident = God-sent’ “Crisis Storm Event”. As discussed in this Prophecy Symbology Post, “lightning” is symbolic of a visibly manifested judgement of God. This is as opposed to thunder which is merely the “sound-ing” of that judgement. A “lightning” event can, and will be seen, and even (more than less) comprehended by all, particularly those (e.g. SDAs, Christians) who may have been prepped to look for such an event. On the other hand, as seen in this post on Rev 10:3-5, with a thunder event, although it actually results from a lightning event, that lightning may have been concealed (e.g. by clouds) and so it was not visible. But just as there indeed is ‘never thunder without lightning’, a thunder sounding is indicative that a lightning “judgement” event had nonetheless occurred. This lightning “judgement” event however is only comprehended by those who are in special (prophetic) communication with the Heavenly Intelligence. (=Amos 3:7-8).

            During the unfolding of the “Ezekiel Ministry/Reforms emulating” Seven Thunders, -as expounding in this post in the (secondary) commenting section for Rev 10:1-3ff, that ‘crying out voice which sounded like a lion’s roar and produced the uttering of the sound of the 7 thunders’ (Rev 10:3), was the messages and postings, -(in  emailings, on (SDA) Discussion Forums, from the NJK Project website, and then/also this Theological Views Blog)) that the Shaking (White-Throne-like) Judgement of God was coming here, -firstly (=1 Pet 4:17) on/with SDAs {=the typological-eschatological fulfillment of Rev 11; cf. Ezek 8&9 here&here}, and, though time was being prolonged God was indeed going to still ‘do a great work’ (15MR 292.3-4), which is in the establishment of this (“lion-like”) ‘chief of countries’ national entity, which is this Full Gospel mandate accomplishing & prophecies-fulfilling New Jerusalem Kingdom. God indeed would ‘prophetically warn in advance’ about such a “lion”/national development...and who indeed could not but prophesy of this. (=Amos 3:7-8).

            But all of this proclaiming and warning was being done in mere “thundering” voicings. SDAs of course scoffingly continued along on their deplorable course, presumptiously claiming, as did the First Century Jews, “the Temple of The Lord” (Jer 7:1-20ff). But for such people who do not want to humbly of themselves repent, God always has an startling and smarting “adamant wall” event (Amos 7:1-9) set up for them down their reckless and indifferent course. (1 Thess 5:3; Isa 30:12-14, 15-17). And this “adamant wall”, which will make it self-evident to all that God’s judgement had indeed been in/on His professing (former) Remnant Church organization (Rev 12:17; 14:12; 19:10), and also in the rest of, Christian, and Non-Christian world, -(for such are the three stages of God’s Final/Investigative Judgement (cf. Acts 1:8)); will be here, in this “Crisis Storm Event” which will indeed awaken these “ten virgins” (=SDAs and other Christian Congregations who have a Biblical understanding of the Second Coming); as well as the invited guests (Pauline Christians who are also endeavoring to Christ-like good humanitarian works). The rest of the (Babylonian and Non-Christian) world will also be aroused by this “lightning” Crisis Storm Event, but they will not be able to Biblically see/understanding anything as they will be without either a “lamp and/or oil” while in the midst of this midnight darkness....and while either (Babylonianly) drunk, drugged and/or “hung over” (cf. Rev 18:23). And so this event will actually sealingly “ensnare/trap” them in their ‘dissipating, drunken & dark’ Babylonian deceptions (=Luke 21:34-35), and increasingly so as they then (strong-armingly) seek to “remedy’ the resulting Global downturns through their capitalistic policies (=2 Thess 2:9-12 = Rev 16:12-13 = Mar 208.1-8). ...Only those with “clean hands and a pure heart” from all of this (cf. Psa 15:1-5) will be able to stand at that time’. (Luke 21:36 = Rev 6:15-17|EW 15.2; cf. Luke 23:27-30)

            So this time around, this event will not merely be a ‘peal of thunder on an unclouded sky’ (=RH, October 26, 1886 par. 11). All will be able to see the lightning strike, in this moreover dead of night. And its true meaning/understanding will only be self-evident to those who will have, or have access to, Latter Rain Holy Spirit-lighted institutions (e.g. that Wedding Hall), will indeed be a turning point. It will ‘turn the captivity’ of God’s People, who up to now were being (typologically/effectively): marginalized, persecuted, isolated, hiding and/or imprisoned. (Mar 279.1-9; LDE 269.2-270.3; PK 725.2; cf. Job 34:20; Isa 25:4).

            As stated earlier, this “lightning” Crisis Event will be the prophesied 9/11 II Event (cf. a depictive templating delineation here). To these startled ten virgins, even to the five practically wise, but still nodded off virgins, and also the invited guests, this Time of Trouble causing event will indeed seem like a “thief in the night” (=Mar 270.3-4), as Jesus would have so surprisingly/unexpectedly manifested to them, at “an hour that they did not expect” (Matt 24:44|Luke 12:40), and they will feel like they have been caught not adequately (Luke 12:35) or fittingly (Matt 22:11ff/Rev 19:8) dressed, even being (“exposingly”/shamingly) naked (Rev 3:3-4; 16:15)..and so doomed/deserving to be left to be on the wrong side of the looming Har-/Ar-Mageddon War (Rev 16:14-16; cf. 3SM 426.1).

            Jesus has said, in order that His followers would not be caught off guard by this, that: ‘He had told them beforehand’ (Mark 13:23; cf. John 14:29), it would seem unlikely that after a Biblically and SOP pre-warned 9/11 II Event occurs that not everyone will then repent and believe in God/Jesus and the Bible, but given the patent fact that God will always do things in a manner that can “freely” leave the place for doubt (cf. SC 105.2) and indeed just looking back at how things took place with and from the original 9/11 event, it can be seen/expected that even a realized 9/11 II Event would still see many people not being convinced that it was a Prophetic Event, especially in the ensuing days. Even the SDA Church itself, through/in the EGW Estate, began to make, effectively formal, disclaiming (responding) statements (see here, here, here, here, here) against the growing claims that the 9/11 Event had been a fulfillment of certain SOP Prophecies.

            In other words, -as seen in the Original 9/11 Event, in the immediate aftermath of the Event, Christian Churches did become suddenly filled. (Likewise SDAs caused the SOP book “Last Day Events” to sell out.) People were convinced and/or fearful that this was a judgement from/allowed by God for the blasphemous and wayward ways of the United States, -as it indeed was, (and/or even that Final Events were about to unravel)....But continuing to make that claim in regards to the U.S. today, now 16+ years after that event, and people generally will not merely scoff at you, but they may even become belligerent.... ...And yet the U.S. has certainly not become repentingly better since 2001, but indeed has further plunged into its blasphemous abominable and murderous ways.

            But what pointedly indicates whether people will accept that the 9/11 II Event was a fulfillment of Prophecy, and therefore a judgement from/allowed by God, and that through Militant Islam, is how, just like with the Original 9/11 Event, the United States and the rest of the West, will react/respond to it...And you can be sure that they, again, will not silently and humbledly stand by, weepingly repenting in “sackcloth and ashes”, but instead will launch on a, and correspondingly heightened, “War on Terror” II. The Bible/SOP indeed prophesies of this defiantly unrepentant reaction in/as, as discussed here: “an angry horse seeking to break loose and rush over the face of the whole earth, bearing destruction and death in its path” 20MR 216.6 having released the, up to then held back (Rev 7:1-3), four winds of ‘unrestrained human passions’ upon the earth (cf. 1MR 361.1-362.2; LDE 24.3-25.1; 9T 12.1-14.1ff) and so further plunging the world in Babylonian darkness. “Babylonian darkness” because that is the template, means, measures and ways in/with/through which those who are have not invited or accepted into this Wedding Feast, will, as the naturally only can, resort to in order to try to get themselves out of this earth-shaking, Geo-political, Religious, Militaristic and Economical Crisis. And so then will the Mark of the Beast global confederacy be formally seen (Rev 16:13-14; 17:12-13), and so Har-/Ar-Mageddon Battle lines be drawn (Rev 16:16; 17:14).

            Those who, as in these days since/after the Original 9/11 Event, think that the solution to overcome the damage and resulting adversities from this, now even greater attack, is through “Either you are with us or you are with the enemy”-Geo-Politics; Wanton and Indiscriminate War and Bombing of Muslim; Islamic Religious/Civil Discrimination and giving CPR to Capitalism by “going shopping”, ...and isn’t Dognald Drumpf presently the perfect U.S. President to engage in such ‘pitch-dark, Babylonian witchcraft’..., will indeed naturally stand against those who variously are not aligning themselves with this, not only UnBiblical, but pompously unrepentant/unhumbled, ‘shortsighted’ (~20MR 216.6) approach. In fact, they will be seeing those faithful Christians as threatening enemies who are supportive of a strategic siege against their Babylon seeking to make way for the (deemed-Islamic) “Kings from the East” (Rev 16:12; discussed in here). But, as with the background episode of Cyrus sacking Babylon, this was actually part of God’s “Anointed” (=Isa 44:28-45:1-6, 7), (seemingly uncharacteristic) “New [=Nation-alistic] Thing” (Isa 43:16-21), (Judgement-)Action. God is indeed working here to supplant the usurping Babylon by now establishing His Faithful New Israel Church (Triumphant) as the rightful/Biblical Church&State Entity, and that ensuingly, upbuildingly, through His long-warned of NJK (“Sixth-Era Army”) People (=Rev 9:13-17; Songs 6:10|PK 725.1; cf. 5MR 228.4).

            ...Interpreting the figure of speech of Matt 24:27: God’s “lightning” judgement which defeats Babylon will have tangibly manifested itself from the “Kings of the East” (Rev 16:12) to reach even unto the (Powerful) and still unrepenting “First World” West (Rev 9:18-21). 

*            Indeed a straight prophetic line can be drawn from what befell on the U.S. on 9/11/2001 as the First “Plague/Wound” on the Babylonian Empire/World, -indeed right in/at its Emblematic (the WTC & Pentagon) and Nationalistic (=[NYC&D.C.] U.S.A.) Headquarters, to this “Fifth Plague/Wound’s” heightening in 2017+....-a “straight prophetic line” which also goes through the Second thru Fourth “Plague/Wound”. And while much has been pertinently and applicably said in detail in this dedicated post as to what has historically been and eschatologically is being/will be involved in the Fulfillment of the First 5+ (Series of Revelation, pointedly in the “Trumpets ~ Plagues”, it can now be retrospectively seen/perceived how indeed these “Plaguing/Wounding of Babylon” prophecies have been fulfilled/fulfilling since that 09/11/2001 Divine Judgement Event.

            As related&analyzed here, on 9/11/2001, as the SOP reveals, God did intervene to prevent the ‘Four Winds of unrestrained human passions’ from being released, i.e. through a ‘hyper-volatilely backlashingly reacting U.S. Government&Military’....but that did/does not mean that the unraveling of the Plagues/Wounds on Babylon had also been (at least entirely) halted. And so, since|from that 9/11 day, the Second, Third and Fourth Trumpet~Plagues of Revelation have indeed had an applicable fulfillment...all in order to set up the present day’s Fifth Trumpet (Rev 9:1-12), and future Fifth Plague (Rev 16:9-10); and then the Sixth and Seventh Series events.

            Succinctly delineated here:

-the First Trumpet&Plague was indeed the 9/11/2001 Event.

            NJKP: Right during this time the NJK Project was just beginning to set out to conquer (=Rev 6:2)

-the Second Trumpet&Plague was fulfilled in how the status of the United States in the World took a significant, and Globally rattling, hit due to the highly controversial actions that it set out to do throughout the World. Even allied countries saw the greatest democratic protesting and opposition to this U.S. “Axis of Evil” “War on Terror” falsely-Biblical, (i.e. deemed to be “Gog and Magog” by G.W. Bush), Neo-Con agenda. The post 9/11 U.S. indeed ‘boiled & roiled up the world’, itself ‘taking peace from the world’ (=Rev 6:3-4) pointedly in its unwarranted Iraq War,  like “a mountain burning with fire being thrown into the political seas’ (=Rev 8:8-9)

            NJKP: Just as, as related in here, I had ‘worried almost out loud’ upon seeing the 9/11 Events on my TV screen that the way in which the U.S. was going to react to this would surely be ‘harmingly’ not good, pointedly, blindly, against  the NJK Project’s “New Country” plans (=11MR 361.1b), the cause of Righteousness was greatly, but not irreparably, harmed by the U.S. reaction, even fueling the ca. 2004 New Atheist movement’s crystalizing & uprising starting around this time as the Iraq War/War on Terror was being indeed deemed as a Christian’s Holy War...or as George W. Bush loadedly retro-put it: “a Crusade” (video)... So the NJKP’s White Horse of the First Series, was indeed displaced by this Second Series: U.S. ‘Red (=Bloody) [Angry] Horse’.

-the Third Trumpet&Plague was fulfilled in the Leftist political, -and inherently also socio-economic, reactions to that debacle during the Second Series events. It culminated in the globally widely campaigning and acclaimed 2008 Election of Barack H. Obama as POTUS, with Obama even immediately/defaultly being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. By then the (so-called) “Progressives” of the world had been engaged in an all-out vitriolic, especially internet, campaign (e.g. here): against Christianity, God, the Bible having confused the Right Wing Neo-Con agenda for Biblical Christianity thinking that if these can be “debunked” then this would bring an end to that Religious, and also Culture, “Warring” Agenda. The Fallen Angel Satan was all to glad take the reins of this opposition but: NJKP: the actual solution to this issue would be found in the launching, starting in July of 2008, and steadily since November 2009, of the NJK Project’s present: “Theological Views Blog” as it would, albeit “embitteredly”, attack and expose the actual “source” of the problem: the pervasive perverting teachings of Babylon. (=Rev 8:10-11)

-the Fourth Trumpet&Plague was fulfilled in the various affectings of priorly heralded Global, First World, Lights (Rev 8:12). The opening salvo was seen in the Fall 2008 Economic Great Recession. And by that time, the backlashing Religious/Cultural/Social Revolution had made its inroads becoming an increasing “mainstreaming” light in the New Media of the internet. Just like the full dawn of the Catholic Church plunged the (Western) World into a “Dark Age”, the full manifestation of Eschatological Babylon now, including in this contra-Biblical tier of it, had produced a Dark Age in the present era. And so God has had to resort to “woeful” judgement reformations to produce the natural undoing of this course.

-the (warning/foreshadowing) Fifth Trumpet: was fulfilled in the striking, stakes-heightening, resurgence of Militant Islam in the 2011-2013+ establishment and warring activities of ISIS. With an attacks casualties total of ca. 5000+ dead and 15,000+ injured all over the world, it has in a very short time rivalled, matched, if not, at least pro-ratingly, surpassed what the Al-Quaeda militant organization had itself done since the 1990's....and Dognald Drumpf’s first year of 2017 was, (the then Caliphate-less), ISIS’s deadliest year, doubling its casualties of 2016. The Right Wing/Neo-Con reaction to ISIS has again been seen as it was from the 9/11/2001 event, in that election of Dognald Drumpf. The Fifth Trumpet actions of ISIS may very well be that 9/11 II fulfilling event...unless they are currently engaged in planning to execute an attack which will dwarf 9/11, but already the Fifth Plague/Wound “ Darkness befalling on those who had been “sorely” and ‘unhealingly/festeringly’ affected way back some 16+ years before in the 9/11 Event (=Rev 16:2, 10), and in the, especially Nuclear, confrontations being slowly simmered up by the chaotic Drumpf Administration against e.g. North Korea, Iran, ‘Palestine’ and Pakistan, even China, this (Atomicly) “Dark” Scenario of this Fifth Plague may indeed soon “warringly” befall the lone-ranging U.S., and inevitably the rest of the World.....

            So the news/awareness of this startling/awakening/arousing “Crisis Storm”/9/11 II Event had come, but now how would be able to, literally: “make (illuminating) light of it”?!!... 

Matthew 25:7 - "At that time all those virgins were raised and adorned their lamps.

At that time - See the explanation and weight of this translation back at the commentary at Matt 25:1 above, but this of course means, at this time when the announcement of the arriving Bridegroom was made.

            According to the interpreting understanding for this announcement time, namely as a “Crisis Storm/9/11 II Event” , this of course means that this is awakening development at this time.

those virgins were raised - Of course the Greek word here egeiro [#1453] meaning: “to rise/raise”, is being used here, and in the passive voice, to say: “raised from sleep” (cf. Eph 5:14; Rom 13:11), however the notion is not to merely conscious awaken, but also to rise up on one’s feet. It however would seem not congruous to use a passive voice to mean ‘rise to one’s feet’. That itself is an active voice action, even if it was something else which had awaken the person from sleep. They themselves have to raise themselves on their feet.

            Also, there is another word which pointedly means: “awaken from sleep: Greek exhypnos [#1853]; cf. [#1852]. However hypnos [#5258] itself manifestly indicates a second stage of sleep, the one between being “drowsy” [#3573] and a “coma-like deep sleep” [#2837], indeed as in an “hypnotic” state where one can also be foggily/nebulously conscious of their surroundings, but just unable to “snap out” of this sleeping state to awakeness. In fact, as with hypnosis, people can react to the stimuli that they can subconsciously hear or feel (or even see, as with sleepwalkers) while in this state and incorporate it in their sleep/dream. These “nodding off”/napping [#2518] virgins were at this secondary stage of sleep, not actually being in a “deep sleep”. (=Peter’s jailer was not, given his job, deeply asleep (Acts 16:27); and in John 11:11, as Lazarus had just died, he was considered according to Jewish claims, to not be fully dead yet. So Jesus was figuratively speaking of waking him out of this, dead-but-unburied, “intermediate state” although it was a “coma-like intermediate sleeping state” (John 11:13) being symbolic of actual death.

            What is interesting from this is that, for an (exegesis-based) Spiritual/Figurative application of this statement in this parable, when speaking of “coma-like”, =“dead-and-buried”, death, that term “to raise”, used here in this verse, is what is used. (E.g. Matt 26:32; 27:52; Acts 13:37; 1 Cor 15:4; 12-17). So using this “dead-raising” term here for a group which had not been deeply asleep is indeed incongruent, only/unless a figurative sense is involved (e.g. Rom 13:11; Eph 5:14).

            However, a Spiritual sense that can be made of this possibly deliberate, thus purposeful, incongruence by Jesus, is the Typological/Prophetic one that this would explain the actual “pre-Second Coming Appearance” resurrection from the dead, as indeed a “Special Resurrection” (cf. Rev 1:7), which is said to occur at that Midnight Deliverance Event in Mar 281.2/GC 637.1 Again the sudden befallen Midnight Darkness which delivers God’s People and Turns their captivity is the “darkness” which occurs for the Fifth Plague. But the Second Coming Appearance itself does not occur until after the Seventh Plague (Rev 16:17-20), when then the decreed, “ocean-sinking”, judgement on Babylon is fully poured out. (Rev 18:21-24). So these ten virgins, are here shown to be part of that Special Resurrection, being awaken out of their (all-10 common) Spiritual  “not-yet-buried” death. The Babylonian enemy of the Little Lamb Bridegroom and the NJK bride, indeed those who had been active in persecuting these entities, are likewise also “Specially” awaken from their Spiritual death then, but these unrighteous ones (cf. Mar 282.1-8) for a judgement that they have set themselves to surely fail. (Dan 12:2)

            By the way, it is important to notice that the Wedding Feast Judgement itself takes place after this Fifth Plague development, and even after the Appearing of the Bridegroom, where their then is a (First of 3) Shut Door, i.e. for those virgin congregations who had the assigned duty to be prepared to help illuminate and ushering this Bridal Event, but had been careless to fully prepare to do so, and so had failed. The ensuing Judgement here, inside the Wedding Hall, is pointedly on/with the invited guests themselves, namely the People of God who had separated themselves from Babylon by accepting this Wedding Feast invitation. (=Ezek 11:14-21) Indeed these Wedding Guests are not at all the focus of this parable of the ten virgins, eventhough they implicitly are present right along side these ten virgins. The first order of Judgement Event here is, rightly, on those who had a known and assigned role to play for this Wedding Event. (=1 Pet 4:17). The SDA Wedding Feast Investigative Judgement application of Matt 22:1-14/COL 307-319 had already been done and completed. By the Fifth Plague/Series, pointedly by the end of the Fourth Plague/Series, the Investigative Judgement phase in regards to the SDA Church, =God’s typological Judah, will have been completed first (cf. COL 415.4), -letting things fall out where they do in the remaining 3 Plagues/Series of Events (cf. Rev 22:11-12).

            This is all just like God had sealed the fate of the Historical Catholic Christian Church by the Fourth Series (see e.g. the deathly-sickness at Fourth Seal (Rev 6:7-8) & the heavens-shaking at the Fourth Trumpet (Rev 8:12-13), with God starting to do something new by the Fifth Series with/through his then persecuted Reformation People. (e.g. Rev 3:1-6; 6:9-11); even rallying and summoning the forces of Militant Islam with the sounding of the Fifth Trumpet (Rev 9:1-12) to serve as an indirect protection for the Reformation against the Catholic Church. Indeed as He similarly also all begin to do here in this Fifth Plague. The Wedding Feast here does the examination of these Neo-Reformation People of (Rev 3:1-6), the Captivity of God’s faithful ones is turned by Fifth Trumpet emulating events (Rev 9-1-12), and so is completed the required number for this group which was being persecuted (Rev 6:11).

            I would therefore further extrapolate that the Second Phase of the Investigative Judgement, that for the ca 2.3 billion non-SDA Christian World, is indeed completed by the end of the Fifth Series. And then, the Third and Final Phase of the Investigative Judgement which is for the non-Christian World is complete by the end of the Sixth Series. And once this 3-Phase Judgement is completed, then all things are turned upside down in the world in the Seventh Series (e.g. Rev 11:15-18; 16:17-21).

and adorned their lamps - the Greek word for “adorn/trim” here is kosmeo [#2885] that indeed refers to “cosmetic”-type of arrangements/preparation/ordering (e.g. Matt 12:44; 1 Tim 2:9; Rev 21:19). So apparently here, the virgins were not actually technically “trimming” the wicks in their lamp to be able to get lighted up, but they manifestly rather were arranging the accompanying cosmetic decorations that they had placed on their lamps to produce festive lighting for this bridal events. Perhaps they had special decorative shades which they placed over their lamps in order to give off a festal light.

            But, as with the ‘splendidly-adorned Temple of God’ in Jerusalem then (Luke 21:5) the crucial question here was whether or not the inwards part/function of this instrument was also not “desolate” of the presence of God. (Matt 23:38; cf. Matt 23:25-26, 27-28, 29-36)

            Pertinently here, from 1 Tim 2:9 & 1 Pet 3-5, it is seen that Godly women “adorn” themselves by being inwardly Spiritual and submissive to their husbands. In the same manner, it can be said that this is how the New Jerusalem Bride ‘adorns herself for her husband’ (Rev 21:2). Well along these Spiritual lines, an adorn lamp (=Bible) is not seen to be fitting if it does not submissively agree with Jesus Christ. So people who do not follow all that the Bible says, pointedly in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and who may also, either (Ecclesiastically) by eclipsing traditions and/or (Scholastically) by mis-/mal-translations[12]¹² corrupt this Word of God, indeed are likewise found to be utterly, and uselessly, desolate.

            The five moronic virgins came to void the Word of God by not have done all that it said, pointedly in not engaging in humanitarian good works, (-“neutrally” = ‘lukewarmly’ = ‘Laodiceanly’ = choosing not to exercise the required Faith do truly and fully do this =16MR 272.1) which itself would have provided them the Second Portion Latter Rain from God’s Spirit, and just like Jesus will in the end cause professing believers to be saved or lost based pointedly on if they had, and exhaustively so, done this required good works task (Matt 25:31-46), then likewise here, Jesus makes a testing/demarcation line with those 10 virgins from that very same requirement. (=LDE 218.3)

            Furthermore, the Bible will only remain relevant in, and from, these midnight darkness times, if it is able to produce such “practical light”. Indeed, and as counterintuitive as it might seem, it is this Light which will be calling for self-sacrificing thinking and ministering, which will lighten up the way out of these dark times, while Babylon will be calling for self-preservation and covetous selfishness. (Luke 16:13; cf. COL 415.3-417.4ff) And if people had not been charitable, generous and self-sacrifice before, in the relatively/comparative peaceful times, they indeed surely will not be wanting to, nor doing so, then (=Luke 16:10-12), when their Babylonian-Capitalistic world is crumbling all around them. E.g. Even when Babylon’s stock markets are crashing, that is not even the time when Capitalists seek to part with their money, even for an investment, even if that means that an Economic Crash&Depression will result.

            The (Crisis) Storm had come, and only those who had built their house/congregation on the (Every) Word of Christ were able to stand through it here. (Matt 7:21-27|Luke 6:46-49; MM 24.5)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

            SOP vs. Bible on Matt 25:1-7ff - Before going on here, it is necessary to point out, and explain, certain slight, but key, differences between the SOP account of this episode of the 10 virgins, and what is (exegetically) read in the Bible. Here are these differences (in bold red) thus far (i.e. Matt 25:1-7ff) based on what has been exegetically explained for the verses above. SOP added detailing are in bold blue:

COL 405.2 - “Lingering near the bride's house are ten young women robed in white. Each carries a lighted lamp and a small flagon for oil. All are anxiously watching for the appearance of the bridegroom. But there is a delay. Hour after hour passes; the watchers become weary and fall asleep. At midnight the cry is heard, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." The sleepers, suddenly awaking, spring to their feet. They see the procession moving on, bright with torches and glad with music. They hear the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. The ten maidens seize their lamps and begin to trim them, in haste to go forth. But five have neglected to fill their flasks with oil. They did not anticipate so long a delay, and they have not prepared for the emergency. In distress they appeal to their wiser companions saying, "Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out." (Margin.)”

            I’ll first state here my overarching observed “working thesis” for these slight discrepancies between the SOP account and Gospel account. Again keep in mind that here, in COL 405.1-2, EGW is stating that Jesus had seen a real life Wedding procession event, and had told the story of the 10 virgins from that. However there are differences with what EGW said Jesus had seen, and what Jesus says in Matt 25:1-7ff. So what appears to be the case is that Jesus did see exactly what EGW said in COL 405.1-2 He had been seen...however Jesus then slightly tweaked the real life developments that He had seen to be able to perfectly represent in His story/parable what He, (possibly) had been prophetically shown about God the Father’s overall prophetic plan for the end times.

            Alternatively, based on the fact that a Prophet, -which Jesus also fully functioned in the capacity of, is not only a forth-teller: =repeating/relating exactly what God had prophetically said/revealed to them, but also a fore-teller: =they can state what will take place, as in what Biblically should take place, and if God agrees, He honors that fore-telling by orchestrating things to occur as the prophet had said, but indeed only if it is in perfect harmony with the Word and Will of God. That is manifestly what happened with Elijah’s (self-)calling and oathmaking judgement (=James 5:17-18; see here)). If what the prophet had fore-told does not actually come to pass, then God says that it is because the prophet had spoken “presumptuously” (Deut 18:22); I.e. some part of what he had said was not in full harmony with the will of God. This is effectively what crucial occurred with Moses and his striking of the “Rock” (Num 20:9-12; Deut 3:23-27; -see 1 Cor 10:4).

            Manifestly for Christ’s statement in Matt 16:28, God the Father orchestrated “six days later” the Transfiguration event in Matt 17:1-8 to applicably fulfilled what Jesus had said. And at that Transfiguration event, Jesus was manifestly firstly told and shown, through the sent messengers Moses and Elijah, that this (First Century A.D.) generation of Israel would not be the ones to seamlessly see/ushering in the (Glorious) Kingdom of God, as they were failing their granted (testing) “time of visitation” (Luke 19:41-44). [As shown here, Jesus’s (actual) statement in Matt 10:23 was not a failed prediction.]

            And so with the “Son of Man” Jesus having been given Heaven’s Judgement “portfolio” (John 5:22, 27; cf. Acts 10:42; 17:31 =Dan 7:10, 13-14), and with all of these here discussed parables involving some aspect/phase of the final judgement(s), it is manifest here that Jesus was beginning to “fore-tellingly” stipulate exactly how He was going to carry out that Final Judgement process.

            So the most likely scenario here is that Jesus had indeed seen that real-life Wedding procession event, exactly like EGW recounts it, but then indeed tweaked it to better fit how He wanted/knew that His own judgement-related activities would be. So hence those slight discrepancies. As these differences/tweaking serve to highlight what Jesus went on to tweak, add or omit, they are commented on here:

near the bride’s house - As per the Eastern/Jewish custom which the SOP does make reference to (e.g. COL 405.1; cf. 10MR 204.3) it is understood how/that the ten virgins are awaiting near the bride’s house.

robed in white - That’s a real life detail that we do not see repeated/pointed out in the parable version. I would say that it is because Jesus did not want to involve this significant spiritual symbol, for white robes, which could be understood as the “fine linen” (=wedding-appropriate) garment) represent “the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev 19:8; cf. 6:11). But it is implicitly likely that all of the 10 virgins were uniformly dressed. Spiritually speaking, this would mean that they actually had a same level of (“sins of commission”) righteousness, (= the SDA obsession with the 1888 Message, but merely as commonly understood during the times of SDA pioneers), but the moronic virgins did not also have accompanying, and “sins of omission”, fuller righteousness acts, as represented in the flask of oil that they carried along. 

[Each carries a lighted lamp and a small flagon for oil]. - Initially I had assumed that what Jesus had said in Matt 25:3-4 meant that the moronic virgins themselves did not also take along a flask, since they had not taken any oil. But, those statements only say that they did not take any oil. So, as stated here in COL 405.2 the moronic virgins also had taken along a flask, but they just did not care/bother to fill it up with reserve oil.

            Spiritually that means, as discussed above at Matt 25:4, they had some accompanying handi-works of good work, i.e. evangelistically and also a certain level of humanitarian work, both, and for actually both of these categories, -and especially for the humanitarian works, they did not bother to in-fill them with the Latter Rain portion of the Holy Spirit. So they were satisfied with only doing, at best, Early Rain level type of work. While the practically-wise virgins were at least mindfully endeavoring to do these works according to the Latter Rain mandate.

They see the procession moving on, bright with torches and glad with music. - In Matt 25:10 Jesus differentiatingly depicted that the Bridegroom only came some time after the Midnight Cry. So, as per Jesus’ version of the real life event, the ten virgins did not ‘see the procession’ right at the time of the midnight cry.

            This therefore means that the expression “Behold” in that midnight cry, which would imply that one can ‘see right before their eye’ what is being spoken of, was used by Jesus as an anticipatory warning, implying that ‘this was as good/sure as the real thing’. So, Spiritually speaking, in Jesus’ version of that midnight cry, what transpires then (i.e. the Crisis Storm Event) will indeed be most self-evidently a warning to all who can understand it, that the (soon thereafter) Coming of the Bridegroom is near/sure.

They hear the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. - Again this is a real life development that is not factored in Christ’s version. None of the Ten virgins can hear the voice of the bridegroom or bride right at the time of the Midnight Cry, because Jesus has the Bridegroom himself arriving later...and also, the bride, who was waiting in her father’s house, likely does not come out until the bridegroom arrives (and most likely first goes inside the father’s house to get her (or, (as commonly seen in wedding traditions today) the father walks her out to the front door (=“down the aisle”) to there meet the arrived and awaiting bridegroom))

            So for Christ’s version, the ten virgins, (or actually just the practically wise ones) can only hear this “voice of the bride and bridegroom” only later on, sometime after the Midnight Cry’s (pre-announcement).

But five have neglected to fill their flasks with oil - Again, going by the acceptable implying that the moronic virgins did take along flask, but they had not filled them up, then this SOP statement about the real life Wedding event does still (implicitly) agree with Christ’s version in/for His derived parable.

            It must be spelled out that, taking along a flask, but not bothering to fill it up, is quite a bold, defiant, even presumptuous move by the moronic virgins. Why even bother to take the empty flask along then. Clearly they knew that there could be a crucial delay, but most care-lessly just wouldn’t be bothered to adequately and “fully” prepare for it.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Matthew 25:8 - "But the moronic said to the (practically) wise, 'Give us from your oil, for our lamps are being quenched.'

But - this disjunctive-sense conjunction, implies that something is different from the prior statement. Matt 25:7 says that all 10 virgins adorned there lamps. In that verse, it was posited that they were just decoratively adjusting them. Perhaps they even had these “lamp shade” like adornments on the side and only then put them on.....

are being quenched - ....Jumping to this determining statement here it is seen this is exegetically saying that: ‘the lamps of the moronic virgins were being quenched’ (Greek present passive), {or as the NASB acceptably has it: “are going out”}, and not that: “they had been quenched” (Greek: perfect passive). The Greek Syntax Textbook: Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (p.518) claims a reading as: “our lamps are [right now] going out”. And from Matt 12:20, it can be deduced that the lamps here were at a point just before they became “smoldering/smoking wicks”.

            So it then is indeed warranted to see/claim here that, -in Christ’s version, the lamps of all of ten virgins was actually still alight when the midnight cry was sounded. It is just that the moronic virgins could see that their lamps were very low on oil by now, and about to go out, and they had no reserves. The practically wise also could see that they were very low on oil, but of course they had a reserve.

            As a matter of fact, the SOP itself seems to agree with this understanding, as, in the telling of the real life event that Jesus was observing (COL 405.2), EGW uses, as pointed out in the text, the marginal reading of the KJV which says: “our lamps are going out” instead of the main text KJV reading which says: “our lamps are gone out”. So EGW was clearly indicating/saying that, at least in the real life event that Jesus was observing, the lamps of all ten virgins were still alight when the woke up at midnight. And as this is the same “present” [and not past or perfect] tense that is used by Jesus in Matt 25:8 during his version account of that event, then it is evident that He likewise sees/says that the light of these ten virgins had not gone out while/despite they had nodded off for hours.

            Such an understanding would then explain why when, upon awakening, the virgins first occupied themselves with adorning their lamps, rather than lighting them. They manifestly were still lit, but were going out. So what they, -pointedly the practically wise virgins, had to do, was just pour in additional oil into an already lighted lamp.

            So in summary: all then virgins woke up, they then hurried to adorn their already lighted lamps (likely with decorative adornments which they had not yet fastened to their lamps, so as to not damage or dirty them while they were not need yet), “but” that time, as they all realized that they were low on oil, the moronic virgins asked the practically wise to give them from their oil.

            So Spiritually speaking, the moronic virgins thought they were doing just fine, even right up into this Midnight Cry sounding, as their lamps were still alight when they awoke, but then they realized that they would not have enough oil to do their part in officiating in this bridal procession, and so to obtain oil from the practically wise virgins.

            Indeed, as seen above with the Wohlberg(+SDA) claim that the Midnight Cry Crisis Event is the one mention in GC 635.1-636.2 in the SOP, even, as Wohlberg probably believes, this will be in the (literalistic) “Balls of Fire” prophecy which he has since seen in the SOP, then they will likewise think that they are doing/will do just fine when this sudden Crisis Storm comes....but when it actually “self-evidently” comes, however not as the literalistic Balls of Fire judgement that they had expected, but in symbolically-applicable "Balls of Fire" in a 9/11 II event, indeed just like it was accepted by several/many SDAs that the Balls of Fire mentioned in the SOP was manifestly and fulfilled during the Original 9/11 event (cf. e.g. here, here, here + [here]), i.e., in the visual Ball of Fire explosions made by the hijacked planes exploding inside the buildings, then will a sudden realization, and that by all of the virgins, be made that the Midnight Cry Crisis is not only way different than what they literalistically expected (as would actually be done in an utter end fulfillment), but that the ensuing Wedding Procession development will therefore not be according to what they expect, but according to how it has been set out in the prophecy interpretations of this Theological Views blog, under the unction of the True Latter Rain, and that from it very [i.e. July 2008] + effective [i.e. June 2000] start, then they will all see that they need to replenish their lamps with such Latter Rain Spirit, and the practically wise virgins will be able to now fully include what they had previously only been “appendingly” cautiously carrying alongside them (not truly/properly seeing it yet as pivotally really necessary...except, more than less, for David Fiedler*). The moronic virgins of course will not have any such, even merely cautionary, Latter Rain reserves, and so they will not be in any viable position to join and officiate in the upcoming bridal procession.

            So in Christ’s version, the virgins are still not sure after the Midnight Cry sounding when the Bridegroom will actually show up now, but they realize that they need to safeguard their capability to produce Biblical Light for their lamps in this prolonged time. And that is done by, as done very early on in/for this blog, now reading and interpreting the Word of God, i.e. both the Bible and the SOP according to this Latter Rain’s Spirit which, “furtheringly” of the Early Rain’s Letter-of-the-Law “Seal of God” light, is “sealingly” anchored in, additionally, the ‘Wisdom of the Spirit-of-the-Law’s’ (=1 Cor 2:6-16) “Fuller Sabbath”, understanding. (=Isa 58:1-14|WM 28-64).

* Dave Fiedler is in my observation/view, the most advanced SDA in regards to truly understanding this Medical Missionary mandate, particularly in presenting this from the SOP and SDA History. However, as seen in his two presentations here+here, he, from my view has the annoying patent stance of, frankly playing “I don’t know” “I don’t know” dumb and thus, as others SDA likewise do, effectively “drawing back” (=EW 56.1), when it comes to seeing and proclaiming what this Medical Missionary work really/fully calls for. When this mandate calls for, and involves actual sacrifice, (e.g. not building a self-funding, if not also for-profit, healthy/vegetarian/vegan food restaurant), the Fiedler suddenly prefers to, “self-deceivingly” (=EW 56.1), ‘stay dumb/ignorant/ignoramus’ so as to claim that he ‘no longer knows what should be done’. Just simply read Matt 25:45-46 to “find out”....That should be more than enough.... (=RH, August 19, 1890 par. 4)

            Early vs. Latter Rain’s “Midnight Cry” - In the Early Rain’s Light, the “Midnight Cry” had been (validly) seen to have occurred in the call to expect prophecy to be fulfilled in the Fall of 1844, pointedly on Oct 22, 1844. (And if those Millerites had been faithful, the Second Coming could have indeed occurred shortly after that time....just like the Bridegroom does only show up some time after the Midnight Cry). But what is significant to see here is that, that 1844 Midnight Cry, which was applicably fulfilling Matt 25:6 (hence of course that naming), was all borne from the deeper Bible and Scholastic studies of Samuel Snow in regards to the 70 Weeks and 2300 day prophecy (see 1905 JNL, GSAM 160.1-6 & August 22, 1844 SSS, TRMC 2.2-4.5) who, around August 22, 1844, saw, from the Bible and Jewish customs, that the OT Day of Atonement was in play here, and this occurred in the Fall and that year it fell on October 22. So it was a more precise studying of the 70 Weeks and the precise time of then ending of the 2300 days which led to this Midnight Cry sounding.

            In a Spiritually enjoining and similar manner/development, it has been, as recounted here, then here, my ministry-launching/founding work on the Seventy Weeks of Daniel pointedly in trying to find the Biblical proof for the SDA-claimed beginning in the Fall of 457 B.C., and thus, more broadly, the ending of the related 2300 Day prophecy (Dan 8:14) in the Fall/October of 1844, which indeed has led me to engage in this Biblical scholarship work/ministry and which has by now led me to the present understanding about the Midnight Cry event of Matt 25:6 to be fulfilled in a, for now, symbolic “Balls of Fire” event, namely a 9/11 II Event. So, as with the Early Rain development, the better study of the 70 Weeks/2300 Days has led to understanding and sounding the Midnight Cry.

            And also as involved in that Early Rain Development, my Latter Rain Midnight Cry has been, from it founding, that “light” which is to, ever-shiningly, guide God’s Advent People along an elevated path right to the Holy City (=the NJK) at its other end, in enjoining applicable fulfillement of EGW’s “First Vision” (EW 13.3-15.1ff).

           

            As a generally applicable conclusion here, just as 1 Thess 5:19ff strongly warns not to “quench the Holy Spirit” by neglecting or refusing to (even) test claims of prophetic experiences/utterances, then it would indeed behoove SDAs (and other Christians) to not allow their capability to make (Latter Rain) light of/from God’s word in these times and forward by neglecting/refusing to Biblically test what is being published in this Theological Views blog. Applicably enough my work started, back in 1998, on a “mobile wordprocessor”, (then in 1999 on a fuller laptop). Then the nature of this online-based work is effectively still “mobile” either by me (e.g. I can seamlessly continue it virtually wherever in the world I have been or could go)  and/or by the readers (especially in this increasing smart phone/tablet/pad technological age)...

            All this to say, that I have long seen that this cosmetically comes to reinforce my substantive understandings about Ezek 8 (see here) and Ezek 9 (see here) that my work has been in present day fulfillment of the SOP also prophesied (see 3T 266.2-267.1ff; 5T 207.2-3ff) mission/work of the (actually incarnate-angel “son of man” (=Ezek 9:11|EW 279.2)): ‘man in linen with a writing kit at his loins [=“laptop”]’ of Ezek 9. In fact, confirming fact, the background of/for “My First Vision” had been/is (my involvement with explaining) Ezek 8....which also leads me to see that the odd “semi-strict” prohibiting command in that vision was evidently all for the same restrictions that God wanted to put on Ezekiel in Ezek 3:24-27 (=Isa 6:8-13)!!

Matthew 25:9 - "But the (practically) wise {were} responded saying: 'No, less, perhaps, there might not be enough for us and you. Rather, make your (own) way before the sellers and buy for yourselves.'

responded - The combined term here: apo+krinomai [#611] means/involves answering “from” [#575] a (formally) weighed [#2919] pondering. As presented here, krino refers to formal indicting/charging part of a judicial process, -where people make their pleas, at times with further details which they think will support/bolster their case/stance and so avert further judicial examination (i.e. a trial). There is another word which is used for “answers”, but now during a trialing examination. It is apo+krisis [#612], with “krisis” [#2920] indeed referring to the trial part of a judicial process. [The (differentiating) Greek suffix -sis itself is used to indicate an “action”. Relatedly lawsuits are commonly formally terms as “actions” e.g. “Class Action”] And, as the word “respond” does contain that element of “pondering”, it is chosen here instead of simply “answer”.

            So here, the 5 practically wise virgins gave a pondered/thoughtful answer which was to satisfactorily set out the reason why they could not comply with the moronic virgin’s request.

{were} responded - The word responded is specially in the passive voice here. (Cf. e.g. Matt 3:15; 4:4; Luke 7:22; John 6:7) It could (have) also be(en) expressed in  a middle voice (e.g. Matt 27:12; Mark 14:61; Luke 3:16; Luke 23:9; John 5:17, 19; Acts 3:12). From my observations, the passive voice with the Greek term “answered” seems to have the underlying notion of: “being answered by/for” while the middle voice implies/involves “answered for/of himself”. In other words, with the passive “answered”, the responder makes an appeal to something/someone else to provide the answer, while for the middle “answered” the responder comes up of/from himself with the proper response. So this means here that the practically wise virgins had their satisfactory already set out for them, here in the attending circumstances.

saying - It would seem redundant to have 2 verbal expressions here. One for “answered” and the other for “saying”. In fact, it indeed so seems to be unecessarily repetitive that the usually (e.g. 90-95%) reliable (1995-updated) NASB, -(the version which is being used as the translation base in this post (and whole blog)), has not bothered to translate the underlying Greek (participle) verb: “saying”. In fact the pre-1995 update NASB did. (As do the N/KJV. The NIV, N/RSV, NJB also do not).

            With the Greek verb “saying” rightly rendered in the English translation, the full meaning becomes that: ‘the practical virgins “were answered” i.e. by self-evident attending circumstances, and they related that resolving answer by ‘putting it in the following terms’:

'No, less, perhaps, there might not be enough for us and you. - The, exegetically accurate, “subjunctively” uncertain sense in this quite, even overly so, qualified response all reflects the uncertainty fact that the practically wise virgins are still not sure how long they will need their oil for. With the exegetically arrived at understanding from Matt 25:8 being reliably evident that the lamps of all ten virgins had actually burned for up to 6 hours right through to this midnight hours, though the level of oil in those lamps was now critically low, then 3 explanation may potentially apply here.

            (1) None of the ten virgins were sure of exactly how much longer they will be needing to have their lamp lighted. In the real life event, this would mean for how long the procession would be from the home of the bride’s father to the wedding hall (=the home of the bridegroom). But the real life event itself revealed that these two homes were very close. So perhaps the virgins themselves were not aware of how close they actually were. And so, the practically wise virgins thought that they could/would (=“less, perhaps....might”) run out, and the (none-the-wiser) moronic virgins did not put up any correcting information. So both sides were in the blind as to how long this procession through the darken streets to the Wedding Hall would be.

            In Christ’s parabolic version, it is the time until the actual arrival of the Bridegroom itself, or additionally so, which is in doubt. The announcement comes a while before the actual arrival. However, from the “Behold” immediacy expressed in the announcement (Matt 25:6), it can be presumed that the virgins would reasonably think that the delay until the actual arrival was right at hand. So here too, it manifestly is an unknown length of journeying for the procession from their present location to the Banquet Hall = home of the Bridegroom which is causing this uncertainty.

            -Making a Spiritual/Prophetic application here, there is the time periods of from:

-the Midnight Cry to the Arrival of the Bridegroom

-the Arrival of the Bridegroom to the Arriving at the Wedding Hall

            In corresponding prophetic revelation in the SOP there indeed is a (undefined, i.e. unspecified) length/period of time which takes place between the Midnight Deliverance (GC 635.1/636.2 = Fifth+ Plague(s)) and the actual manifestation of the Bridegroom in the Clouds in, firstly, the “Sign of the Son of Man” (GC 640.3a = Rev 19:11ff; -see its typological application here) although this is said to take place “soon” afterwards. In the original, i.e. non-Emergency Rescue “Plan B” revelation to the SOP about this, the, presently-applicable “Plan A” -(temporal) Jubilee Millennium is said to take place in this intermediate time (EW 286.1).

            Then, after the (alive and resurrected) elect are gathered up, there is the other period of time in the travel of this saved party from the Earth to the Heavenly Realm, for the first order of things, which is the Wedding Feast Supper of the Little Lamb (=Rev 19:7-9). EW 16.2 says it will take 7 days (=Rev 8:1's ‘0.5+7 (return trip) days’) to reach the “sea of glass” (Rev 15:2). So, much more so than the time for the actual arrival of the Bridegroom himself, it seems like these virgins are uncertain about time it will take the procession to make the trip to the Wedding Hall. Prophetically the ones represented by these “SDA-ish” virgins should know exactly how long this would take, namely 7 days from the SOP revelation in EW 16.2. Even the virgins in the real life event and parable, should suspect that the journey shouldn’t be too long...unless they actually have no clue as to where they are going, i.e. where the house of the bridegroom = the Wedding Hall, actually is. Perhaps these virgins thought that the delay of the Bridegroom was because and/or required that the Wedding Feast location be changed, and so they were now not sure where they were headed to, and so had no idea how long it would take to get there.

            (2) On top of not being sure where they will be going, the virgins may all be aware that they may need to also provide lighting during the Wedding Hall ceremony itself. That is however not likely as the Wedding Hall is surely already equipped with its own lighting lamps/torches (e.g. set on lampstands). But if the ceremonial practice seen today of lighting candles at a wedding for the entire service was also practiced then, then these very lighted lamps of these ten virgins, may serve that important/valued ceremonial function for the duration of the wedding feast. And if the virgins’ lamps had, as is the evident case, remained alighted for up to 6 hours (ca. from ca. 6PM-12AM) on just their initial fill up of oil, then that reserve oil can also provide that much time of lighting, here for ceremonially, or perhaps necessarily, lighting up the wedding Hall itself...However the ceremonial function is the more likely case here.

            (3) There also is the third possibility that the reserve of oil was comparatively, considerably smaller than the amount of oil that the lamps could actually hold. Much like a car’s (20 gallon) gas tank and a typical (1-2 gallon) reserve container that the driver may have. SO the lamps would have been able to hold much more than a “flask’s” worth of oil. So it really was merely an emergency reserve, and not a complete refill capacity.

            As I am seeing that all of these 3 possibilities can be applicable, especially by pondering the present day Spiritual/Prophetic application, I am going to go with the option that a combination of all 3 possibilities is applicable here. I.e. (1) none of the ten virgins had any idea how long it would take to reach the Wedding Hall/Home of the Bridegroom, and that was because they did not know (or were not sure) where exactly that Wedding Feast was going to take place. (2) The virgins also would have a, at least ceremonially significant role, to play in the lighting of the Wedding Hall. (3) They had a comparatively very smaller reserve in those flasks, and with just the uncertainty of where they were going, they were not sure if they would have enough.

            As unexegetical as it is, those 3 possibilities at least Spiritual match the “overly qualified uncertainty” of: ‘No “less”, “perhaps”, “might” not’ in the practically wise’s (still ‘convincing/acceptable’) response. [Indeed this response was ‘convincingly acceptable’ to the moronic virgins as they did not retort by claiming that the practically wise virgins were exaggerating the criticality here. Manifestly they fully accepted this replay because they knew and understood exactly what was underlyingly implied/involved with it.

            In its present day application, i.e. for this prolonged time (=15MR 292.3-4), Jubilee Millennium Era. The Wedding Hall, the Home of the Bridegroom where the “New Jerusalem” bride will actually now live, is the NJK-HC. And, as always foundationally factored in from its beginning, it was, and still is, expected that SDAs and Christians who effectively are at this “passing” Biblical knowledge and faithfulness, =the practically wise virgins will be the ones who will be assistingly variously Spiritually ‘leading/showing/lighting the way’ in this Wedding Ceremony, pointedly in regards to the invited guest (=fled (thus, -but newly so: former) Babylonians). They will be able to do this by innately having, more than less, a Latter Rain anointed level of knowledge and understanding of the Bible. And so they could be trusted to be the “144,000” Biblical leaders then as others present grow up in their Biblical understanding, faith and practice.

            While there certainly will be other house-lights in that NJK-HC wedding hall, at least, for ceremonial/sanctification purposes (as is the function of the (Heavenly or Earthly) sanctuary, indeed even after the “Second Coming” (Rev 7:13-17)), those who have had more Biblical light, will be expected to help for leadership duties, even if it will be, as with the smaller reserves size, for just the early/beginning portions of the overall time of the NJK-HC era; starting during the preluding NJK-HQ period

            Even before this applicable “early on” duty within the Wedding Hall, these virgins (SDA-ish congregations) may have by now, i.e. with that sounding/manifestation of the Midnight Cry, that they actually have no clue exactly where (Prophetic) things, and thus they themselves, are going to go now. They had been sure before when they could figure things out from their Early Rain/Plan B understandings of Bible and SOP prophecies, but now this “self-evidently” Biblical,  9/11 II Midnight Cry manifestation/fulfillment had literally come to throw all of their “Emergency Rescue Plan B” understandings for a loop. Apparently where they thought the Wedding Feast, (followed by the Millennium period) would be (i.e. the literal Heaven) is not where it will actually be. “Heaven” apparently applicably is for this Temporal Jubilee Millennium period, wherever God’s Heavenly Will is also being done on the Earth (=Matt 6:10) So now they are not sure what to believe. So they will have to rely on the (7-Spirit//7-Horned) Little Lamb Bridegroom when he does later arrive....and just follow him wherever he may go (Rev 14:1-5)..right to the (typological) Sea of Glass (Rev 15:2).

            EGW’s vision in EW 14.1a reveals what is the key to stay on the right course during, especially the “high above the world”, “straight and narrow” journeying towards the Holy City (= Wedding Hall = NJK-HC): ‘stay in the path of the light being shone by the Midnight Cry’. As explained above at Matt 25:8 in the “Early vs. Latter Rain’s “Midnight Cry”” section, that Midnight Cry has a combined implication and related meanings: The first being from the type of, now, i.e. under the Latter Rain: most diligent (=Matt 13:44) Spiritually+Scholarly deep(-er) studies that it will take to most accurate understand and present the Bible, producing Rock-solid studies & works like the Cornerstoning (=Psa 118:22|Matt 21:42|Acts 4:11|1Pet 2:7) “Biblical Interpretation of Daniel’s 70 Weeks”. -Indeed it is dumfoundingly incomprehensible why especially SDAs are refusing to proclaim, let alone even properly consider, this most accurate presentation of the 70 Weeks which would serve to produce ‘a Global, Loud Cry of the (Sealing) Third Angel’s Message, Movement indeed far exceeding the Second Advent Movement.’ (LDE 202.1-2; EW 277.1-278.2).

            That spotlighting Midnight Cry’s Light also sees its fulfillment in what it goes on to elucidate about the Capitvity Overturning Crisis Storm Event, by revealing that this 9/11 II Event is a Second Woe which fulfills the Apocalyptic Purposes & Prophecies of God. Only those with this Biblical Light will indeed be able to, not only make Biblical Light of these chaotic times, but will also thus avoid siding with the “enraged” Mark of the Beast Camp.

           

            So the practically wise virgins actually have a tangible, thus valid, reason why they cannot share their reserve oil with the moronic virgins. If they did so, given all that they might have to do, they run the risk of coming up short, and thus not being able to fulfill their formal processional responsibilities. Their halved whole, is actually better than a wholed half. I.e. 5 virgins being able to do all of their assigned duties is better than 10 being present, but only have of the duties being able to be fully done in any degree. The Heavenly Intelligence is indeed more concerned about quality versus quantity. To try to accommodate those moronic virgins would only later cause a catastrophic complete failure of these significant ceremonial, sanctifying and leadership duties by these practically wise virgins. Accommodating them would be to ‘marringly’ (=1SM 110.1) transpose the systemically deficient, and so useless, Lukewarm state of Laodicea into the [chaos-spared] Philadelphian realm where true and full “brotherly/neighborly love”

(=Matt 22:34-40) reigns (cf. EW 15.1/Rev 3:9-10).

But the waiting five,  have emptied their flagons - In the SOP’s account of what took place in the real life event (COL 405.2), the detail is added that the practically wise virgins had already emptied there reserved oil into their lamps when/before the moronic virgins came to ask them for some. Given that the ensuing reason by the practically wise virgins as to why they cannot help out here is the exact same in the real life event and Jesus’s ensuing parabolic event, and given that the reason still is not that: ‘we have already emptied the reserve flasks’, then it is evident that in both accounts, the flasks had indeed already been emptied. But yet indeed, that is not the ‘convincing’ reason that is given. Rather, the fear of coming up short for the procession is what is deemed to be the critical issue.

            It therefore is manifest that the practically wise virgins could still have taken some of the reserve oil from their lamps to share with the moronic virgins, but they did not, indeed because that was not really the issue. Rather they were afraid to not have enough oil for themselves in the uncertain time that they would have to both navigate in, and leadingly/officiatingly so.

Rather, make your (own) way - The Greek word poreuomai [#4198] basically means “to proceed”. This is an action which is more involved/complex than merely “going” With this word coming from the Greek word poros (=“a ford, passage”) which is a naturally occurring alternative path.

            Our English term “pores” etymologically comes from this Greek word and involves a natural path to provide a way of escape for certain forceful situation (e.g. sweating during straineous/stressful situations))

            The significance here was that the moronic virgins would have to take on entirely of and by themselves, this responsibility to do what it takes for them to try to get ready in time to, at least, make it into the Banquet Hall.

before... - From the Greek term “pros”. Sort of an obliquely formal way of saying this instead to merely using the word. It is as if these virgins would have to beggingly go before these sellers to help them out as they likely were all closed for business at this “midnight” time and would have to wake them out of sleep to deal with them. (Cf. Luke 11:5-8)

...the sellers - Earlier at the “Introductions of Characters” at the end of the commentary on Matt 25:1, these sellers were explained and identified as (Rev 18:11-20) “Babylonian” dealers. And even if they were not operating an ‘overnight convenient shop’, really only someone who is ‘friendly/sympathetic’ (cf. Luke 11:5-8) with the plight of the negligent and careless moronic virgins, would disturb themselves at this midnight hour to help these strangers. Even the bridegroom who, thematically, had more familiarity with those moronic virgins would not, as it will later be discussed, be bothered. (Matt 25:10, 12; cf. Luke 11:7). But these (Capitalistic) Babylonians will of course do anything for money...So trying to supply these failed virgins with oil which will try to make up for their lack of preparation is indeed not beyond them....But of course, the Bridegroom himself would not be impressed.

and buy for yourselves. - It would be natural to assume that the practically wise virgins had had to make the expense to procure the initial [=Early Rain] oil for there lamp...but as part of the formal bridal procession, it can also be assumed that the bride (as [still] expected/normative for wedding ceremony expenses), and/or bridegroom had either supply them this oil or had, or would pay for their expense here. So it would have been the reserve oil which would have cost these virgins extra and/or out of pocket funds, although that too may likely also be reimbursed by the delaying Bridegroom. So if, as likely, all pertinent expenses were to be paid/reimbursed by the Bridal Party, then that would doubly look bad for the moronic virgins who did not care enough to expend from their own funds to be surely ready for the arrival of the bridegroom.

            Add to that the related Spiritual fact that the “Holy Spirit & the Bride” are offering their grander “Latter Rain & New Jerusalem (Kingdom)” benefit/blessing for free (Rev 22:17 = Isa 55:1-2ff). That is indeed the only, pointed invitation that people will be getting to attend this Wedding Feast. The “Early Rain” conversion giftings/blessing of Jesus (see John 7:37-39) should have served to rightly discern (cf. Rev 3:18) and readily heed this “still small voice” subsequent call of the “Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit and the New Jerusalem Calling and Mandate of the Bride”, but those who have not been heeding what Jesus had clearly been saying through his ministry in regard to ‘exhaustively doing good “lighting” works’ (e.g. Matt 5:14-16; 25:45) would indeed not recognize this calling and mandate when the Successor of Christ in this World, the Holy Spirit, would be re-calling people to do this task (cf. John ), and would indeed (=LDE 209.3-210.4): ‘regards this Latter Rain’s Light (=Rev 18:1ff) as dangerous, costly and potentially life-threatening as a coming thief. (=Rev 16:15)’.

Matthew 25:10 - "And while they were gone away in order to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him into the wedding festivities; and the door was shut.

And while they were gone away... the bridegroom came - As cited and explained earlier at the end of Matt 25:7, here is one instance of difference between the real life wedding event that the SOP states in COL 405.1-2 that Jesus looking at and the way Jesus depicted that event in/for His parable. Here in the parable, the Bridegroom only actually comes on the scene some time afterwards. In the real life event, the Bridegroom appears at the same time as the Midnight Cry announcement. By making this significant distinction, Jesus does show both that He indeed had  a specific prophetic plan and template in mind with this parable, but did see that the real life wedding event did serve as a perfect illustration for that prophecy, and also that He knew of a very significant development in this passing of time between the Midnight Cry and the Bridegroom’s coming.

            Both with the Millerites in the 1840s, and in the present day fulfillment, this window of time, indeed as demonstrated in the end time prophecies in the SOP (e.g. GC 635.1-636.2-640.2ff||EW 282.2-285.1-286.1ff) show that there will be a significant “captivity turning” event from, between and through the Fifth Series/Plague of events and the Seventh Series/Plague. I would Chart the Revelation Series/Plague development and the (now) Spiritual applications of SOP prophecies as follows:

Fifth Series/Plague = (EW 282.2-284.2; GC 613.1-636.1) =Persecutions and Troubles

Midnight Cry (EW 285.1; GC 636.2-638.2) =Crisis Storm||Captivity Turned    

Sixth Series/Plague = (EW 285.2; GC 639.1-640.1) =Har-/Ar-Mageddon Deuling

Seventh Series/Plague = (EW 286.1ff; GC 640.2ff) =Kingdom and Jubilee Millennium

and the door was shut - This does not merely mean that the door was closed, but that it was “locked” for safety/security reasons (e.g. Luke 11:7; John 20:19; Acts 5:23; 21:30; Rev 21:25), indeed to keep out unwanted visitors/intruders.

            As the Millerites who made Biblical Light of the Great Disappointment event came to see and understand (see EW 42.1-45.4), this indeed was a significant shut door. But what calibrated their understanding was to realize that this door was only shut to those who had had a prior change to know and understand God’s will but did not bother to heed it. The “invited guests” here are not affected by this shut door. In fact they were not even charged with the binding responsibilities/duties that these virgins had in regards to the procedures for this Bridal Party. Only the virgins, pointedly the failing ones, are subject to suffering the effects of this door having been forever shut for them.

            So, as derivedly understood for this “Shut Door” blog post, there indeed has been more than one “Shut Door” in Biblical, and now Eschatological History, Indeed a symbolically significant total of 7 for a “perfect representation”, one after each major phase in God redemptive agenda. The SOP itself saw the occurrence of an additional/future “Shut Door”, i.e. beyond the one which occurred during the Millerites Experience:

“The parable of the ten virgins was given by Christ Himself, and every specification should be carefully studied. A time will come when the door will be shut. We are represented either by the wise or the foolish virgins. We cannot now distinguish, nor have we authority to say, who are wise and who foolish. There are those who hold the truth in unrighteousness, and these appear outwardly like the wise.  {16MR 270.3} ”

            As discussed in that Shut Door post, in our present Eschatological day, we are at a/the Third Prophetic Door, and, furthermore, this is the door which separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. (=Rev 3:8-9; =EW 42.2). Those who find themselves within that door when it is shut, will have, and globally relate, through the ministry of God’s Latter Rain Spirit, the “no longer delaying”, GC-finishing, most complete revelation of God (=Rev 10:6; cf. here) , indeed as a “God of Love”. (=PP 33.1 & 33.3; 1 John 4:7-21; GC 678.3)

Matthew 25:11 - "But later they came and these remaining virgins were saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.'

Lord, lord - Is Jesus here explicitly harkening to His prior warning-teaching of Matt 7:21-73|Luke 6:46-48 or what?!!! (That become even more clear in the next verse). Indeed this is the only other time in the Gospels(NT) where we find such an double appellation of “Lord Lord”. The double calling here is to try to convey that they know this Lord and he should already be aware of that.

            In those background instructions in Matt 7:21-73|Luke 6:46-48 the people there are not merely (nominal) Christians, they also had been doing great works in Jesus’ name. We can now see here that these people had been doing such works under the Early Rain’s anointing (cf. Matt 10:8). But here, i.e. nowadays Jesus is expecting Christians who are to become “fully ripe” under the Latter Rain’s anointing to be doing the works of this Latter Rain. And this is not actually “miraculous works”. God does expend Divine Energy to meet actual/valid emergencies which He sees fit to remedy. This is only done in cases where God’s People cannot “naturally” do so for themselves otherwise. The Latter Rain is supposed to produce fully mature Christians who have perfected the loving character of Christ and so are engaged in doing whatever they actually now easily can to help fulfill Christ’s Full Gospel mandate. And that is to include meeting the vital/critical humanitarian & socio-economic needs of currently hundreds of million of people in the world today.

            It is telling to me that today, certain SDA are engaging in providing good works services, but really only of the cosmetic kind. E.g./i.e. health and wellness clinic in Urban Areas. But why all this care about people who have a cavity, or need eyeglasses to get better vision, etc but not about the hundred of millions suffering and dying annual from preventable, curable and/or intentional causes. These are needs that God’s professing blessed and opportuned people can indeed readily meet and resolve, but they are still engaged in “capitalistically” pursuing self-serving/selfish tasks. But that not only will not get the job done, it will, as for these failing moronic virgins (who likewise think that they do not need to engage in this because the bridegroom will surely come soon), result in them being found on the other, shut out side of that “door” (John 10:7-10; Matt 25:41-46). In fact it is the patent-Babylonian Mark of the Beast side which will be appealing to supernatural signs/miracles as proof of God being on their side (Rev 16:13-14; cf. e.g. Mar 208.3-209.4ff) including the claimed satisfactory “philanthrocapitalism” performance of from their “spiritualistic” economic “Mammon” god. (Luke 16:13).

            Nothing short of what perfectly and completely harmonizes fully with the Love&Righteousness teachings of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 13:6) will be God’s True/Truth/Guiding Light in/for this Spiritually Dark(-est) & (Most) Deceptive Era (Rev 18:1ff; Isa 60:1ff; cf. Prov 13:9; Job 18:5; see COL 414.3ff)

10. Shut (Narrow) Door

Matthew 25:12-13

Matthew 25:12 - "But he was answering (as) he said: 'Truly I say to you, I [observationally] do not “know” you.'

But he was answering - Again, (as discussed above with a similar occurrence at Matt 25:9), the specific Greek term for “answer” is used in apo-krinomai [#611] which, judiciously, is an “indictment” level of a response. While it is a prima facie (=“on its face”) case and the actions do speak for themselves and so the answer is indeed still “(formally) weighed” and “pondered”. I.e. it is neither a moronic, nor flippant response, though it actually seems to be here (discussed later). Indeed a Greek passive voice is also used showing that this was a self-evident reason with the meaning of “was answered”.

(as) he said - A Greek participle is also used to match the participial “calling out” of these moronic virgins from Matt 25:11. But given that  (typically not translated, but present) adjoining verb, he said” is expressed here in the (“single point”-notion )Greek aorist tense and no such verb is added to the virgins “calling” in Matt 25:11, then it is manifest that the virgins themselves were ‘insistently/repeatedly’ calling out to the bridegroom to open up to them, but the bridegroom here in Matt 25:12, just uttered his response “once” and for all of those calls. Indeed his participial “answering” covered all/any of the moronic virgins calling. And contrary to the point of the “insistent widow in Luke 18:1-8, the bridegroom would not be bothered/wearied by any insistence to change his mind. Any attempted demonstration of “faith” (in the bridegroom) here was clearly vacuous as the expected “works” were clearly not present. (Cf. James 2:14-17, 20ff)

            The Bridegroom’s “single” answer was indeed “pondered” and “self-evidently clear”. And it was simple as the present fact the bridal procession had entered the Wedding Hall, including the five practically wise virgins, but these moronic virgins where here standing outside the Hall, moreover having now come some time after the feasting had started. Clearly they had done something wrong whereas the other practically wise virgins did not. These wise virgins had demonstrated true faith in the bridegroom. Not only that he would come, but, even if he tarried, he would still rightly expect that those who had been assigned the task to take part in his bridal procession, who have readied themselves to still be able to do that task. Clearly these wise virgins loved and respected the bridegroom enough to make such diligence for him, while these moronic virgins did not really.

            And for those who are thinking that they can put off making the Christ mandated Spiritual (=“born from above”) preparations to be ready for the Kingdom of Christ until they see clear signs of His soon coming, Jesus is clearly warning here that He will not honor this demonstration of faithlessness and “non-love” (=indifference). As Jesus said in Matt 16:1-4, the only sign that people will have from Jesus to be ready for His coming (cf. Rev 22:11-12), is the lesson of endurance and self-sacrifice for God’s righteous will that He gave on the Cross.

Truly - Greek “amen” [#281], which, as explained here, means: “believe (me/this)”

I [observationally] do not “know” you.' - The different notions of “knowing” in the NT) Greek is explained/differentiated within a section in this post {do a browser search for “#3609a”}. Here it is indeed the Greek word oida [#3609a] which is used, which speaks of a perception-type of “knowledge” but not from mere ideology, but from tangible observation. And from what the bridegroom was “seeing” here, i.e. these supposed, even professional, bridal party “light bearers [to the Remnant Church]” not actually being ready for the coming of the bridegroom to lead the way to, into and in this Wedding [Judgement] Hall, -(indeed how do you miss the clear Judgement message of Jesus in Matt 25:31-46????), then all “observable indicators” clearly show that these outside virgins couldn’t possibly be who they claimed to be...or else they (too) would have been full prepared and so ready as were the practically wise virgins. =Saved by faith indeed, but judged by corresponding faith-full works.

            In fact, it is fully understandable for the bridegroom to suspect that these virgins are impostors trying to get into the Wedding Hall. (cf. Luke 13:27) And just by being ready, trying to pass here as those who had been “faithfully watching out, and waiting for” the arrival of the bridegroom, -as “Adventist” love to proudly claim, but actually being concretely found to be outside here because they had not been ready, is indeed, and inherently, an impostor’s claim. The observable evidence speaks louder than any of their words/claims. In fact, Adventists have long been ignoring doing “Medical Missionary” work, because they were explicitly or implicitly believing and saying/preaching that “Jesus is (surely) coming back very soon”...as if, by doing these Gospel Mandate works would hinder Christ’s coming.

            But “to be fair” Adventists have actually been thinking/saying this because of money. They think that if they focus the Church’s resources on doing Medical Missionary work, then there will not be sufficient funds to evangelistically preach the Three Angels’ Messages. Clearly they “dully” do not see or understand the combined “Fuller Sabbath” facet of doing humanitarian works and preaching the Three Angel’s Message. Plus they, indeed “covetously” (=EW 266-269), are not caring to factor in and make use of all of the various intellectual and material resources and wealth that God has put them in a position to readily have to be able to do His Full Gospel Mandate....while they see no problem investing those abilities and resources to serve the world and advance themselves. The whole purpose of the Three Angels’ message is to oppose and overturn the master plan of Satan to hinder or pervert the True and Full Will of God. And that Will includes both religious/ecclesiastical matters as well as social/humanitarian ones, because “true religion” leads to the works which undo, repair and resolve the man-made harm that has been done by Satan through his imparted worldviews and servicing systems: in modern times (Systematized) Capitalism =the darling of Babylon’s Second Beast!

            It is as sequiturly simple as that and those who cannot perceive, comprehend, or worse, submit to, this True and Full Righteousness Gospel Mandate of Christ (Acts 10:38) are indeed as: “blind, hypocritical, foolish and, [murderously] evil” (Matt 7:21-23 = Luke 13:25-27) as were the Pharisaical opponents of Christ....and so indeed cannot be allowed to enter into this kingdom of God (Matt 5:20)...which all starts with this Wedding Feast Supper of Little Lamb for his (finally) marriage to the New Jerusalem Bride (Rev 19:7-9). Having manifested that they cannot be Spiritually trusted to obtain God’s Holy Spirit anointing of themselves, but merely by “pain vs. pleasure” conformity, they indeed risk marring the “born from above/heaven” (John 3:3) mindset and atmosphere that exists in this Wedding Hall (1SM 109-111). The Spiritual Righteousness (=Right Doing) in the Gospel of Jesus Christ indeed came to surpass the legalistic-righteousness/right doing that had been wrongly, merely, formed during the Old Covenant. (Cf. Gal 3:23-25).

            It is fitting, as with the realization of the New Covenant, that today, only those who engage in heed and fulfilling the Spiritual aspects of God’s Law, will be able to perceive and decipher the Spiritual “mysteries” (i.e. hidden truth) in God’s prophetic (Bible and SOP) Revelations, as achieved and related in this “Theological Views” blog.

            God’s Great Controversy end goal is to return us fallen humans back to the state which existed before sin, when then humans could be trusted, with even complete thought-privacy, (-which critically helps avoid the Divine Energy extra-dispensing necessary to do this “surveillance”) to do the right/righteous thing. People who only do what is right if there is a Bible Commandment/Law/Instruction, (or clear SOP statement) to do so...as if there copiously isn’t, cannot be trusted by Christ to be subjects, let alone leaders, of His Righteousness Kingdom. (2 Pet 3:13). Merely doing the right thing because of a law or of consequences is actually a tenet indoctrination of the Capitalistic system, where thus right is perverted by widely accepted things being “rewarded” and thus deemed good. Actual/True self-sacrifice, i.e. where one is not sure that this “investment” of theirs will be refunded by a sure payout, is certainly not practiced under this selfishness-founded Satanic system. (Phil 2:3ff; Luke 12:15)

            The epistle 1 John as a whole, but pointedly in 1 John 4:7-8 is clearly that someone who does not love others (=as themselves Matt 22:34-40) does not know God...So it is not surprising that the bridegroom himself likewise wouldn’t know them. Jesus calls us to make this sacrificial Latter Rain investment and trust Him for the reward.

Matthew 25:13 - "Therefore be watchful, for you have not [observationally] perceived the day nor the hour.

be watchful - I.e. do not ‘sleep as unbelievers nonchalantly and/or ignoramusly do’ (=1 Thess 5:1-11)

you have not [observationally] perceived - Notice the pointed lesson of all of this cited by Jesus. It is not “pointedly” to get extra oil “per se”, but “be watchful” i.e. do not fall asleep. And it is not because the bridegroom and these virgins missed it because they were asleep, but rather it is because if they had not fallen asleep, the moronic virgins just may have realized in sufficient time that they may run out of oil, and so could have managed to buy some, even from some “convenient store Babylonian seller” and return in time to be ready for the delayed arrival of the Bridegroom. Despite the fact that, manifestly unlike the Practical virgins, they could have “freely” gotten also a reserve supply of oil, likely fully paid for by the bridal party,[13]¹³ given enough time to “work” things out according to their smarting “trial vs. error” “pain vs. pleasure” way, even an anointing obtained in/from Babylon should, although more delayed so, lead a sincere one to Biblical Light. Case in point, the long ago (1863), prophetically revealed SDA Health Message, is continuing to be, even now, validated by medical science discoveries and health/wellness observation. (E.g. in regards to fats; sugar; smoking; E.g. now even Wal-Mart & McDonalds carry vegetarian options).

            So Jesus counsels to remain watchful during this tarrying time, which should lead even unprepared people to realize, and in time, that ‘they surely will run out of oil’.

the day nor the hour - This is not even the timing of the Midnight Cry itself, as in Jesus’s parable, this occurs some time before the arrival of the Bridegroom, but indeed to the arrival of the Bridegroom himself. So if/even one is waiting for the Midnight Cry’s (alternative “wake up” call; cf. Luke 19:42-44) “Crisis Storm” to awaken and ready themselves, they will still be way too late. Actually only the 144,000, those who enter this Wedding Hall Banquet will come to know that Second Coming’s “day and hour” (See EW 34.1||285.2/GC 640.2), -both the typological, and the literal/Glorious, application/fulfillment for/of Rev 19:11-16ff...

+++++++++++++++++++++++

            At this “Shut Door” point of this parable, the following, clearly thematically related, teaching + illustration passage of Luke 13:22-24, 25-28, 29-30 helps to understand what Jesus later went on to incorporate in this Matt 25:1-13 parable. While an indepth exegetical analysis of this statement and parable will not be done here (at least for now), some commentary is given where most salient, pertinent points are made which helps to better grasp the parable of the Ten Virgins.

Luke 13:22-30

Luke 13:22 - And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem.

On His Way to Jerusalem - This is the (final) trip to Jerusalem for the So Jesus was

Luke 13:23 - And someone said to Him, "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?" And He said to them,

Luke 13:24 - "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

narrow door - This is the same as the narrow “gate” & “way” of Matt 7:13-14. These statements are all thematically synonymous.      

Luke 13:25 - "Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.'

Luke 13:26 - "Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets';

Luke 13:27 - and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.'

Luke 13:28 - "In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.

                                                           

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob... - The Founding Triumvirate of Israel. The rootstock of God’s Israel (Rom 11:16-24ff) = True Israelites = People who actually have faith demonstrated by their actual, and sincerely so, faithful actions (e.g. John 1:45-47ff), (and not vacuous/trite/rot professions -Isa 29:13-14ff|Matt 15:7-9), just like the “Hall of Faith” heroes (Heb 11).

Luke 13:29 - "And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.

recline at the table in the kingdom of God - It is interesting, even intriguing, to see how many pivotal statements and actions of/in the Gospel is, as in this verse, said to revolve around a “Supper” and/or the reclining at a table for a Supper meal. It has got to be more than because being able to give a banquet meal and/or being an invited guest at a meal was manifestly a socio-economical status indicator in those days. There’s probably some of that external element involved in here, but the manifest meaning is found in the substance of the Supper. Jesus Himself both used a Supper, i.e. the Last Supper, to present the pivotal theme of His New Covenant (e.g. Matt 26:26-29) and speaks of this as a crucial/saving/sealing activity for Laodicea (Rev 3:20). Manifestly Jesus is ‘(character-istically) recognized in the [‘eyes-opening’] breaking of bread’ (Luke 24:30-31, 35)...

            This theme of a (Kingdom) “Supper” is clearly so loaded of Spiritual meaning/importance that is also depicted in Prophecy (Rev 19:7-9), including (furtheringly) in SOP revelations (e.g. EW 19.1; cf. Ernie Knoll’s first Prophetic Dream) where the table is even stretched to “many miles in length” so that everyone can take part (at the same time). Indeed it is the very first communal action in/of the Kingdom of God.

            Parabolically, even the lord returning from a wedding feast (Luke 12:36) to his household of slaves (Matt 24:45) is concerned with himself serving His (alertly awaiting) slaves at His banquet table (Luke 12:37 = EW 19.1)

            The substance of the meal is indeed the element which makes this meal significant...and that substance is not (merely) the blessing of God in provided physical food (cf. Matt 4:4; Luke 24:43) but the Spiritual Blessing of the Word of/from God, and as fully understood through the Teaching/Demonstration/Revelation of Jesus Christ (Luke 24:44-45; cf. Matt 7:24-27|Luke 6:46-49)...and anything else is indeed a ‘snare/trap’ (Rom 11:7-10).

            That “Spiritual” substance (=John 6:63) indeed revolves around understanding how what Jesus said and did did/does indeed fulfill the Word of God. Jesus (of course) knew exactly what He was (cryptically) saying when He said in John 6:48-58 that ‘people must eat His flesh and drink His blood’ to be saved. (Just like they did for the Passover Lamb). Like the “(word of the) Cross” (1 Cor 1:18-25ff), which this was being represented by these symbols, this too caused people to become “scandalized”, to stumble and fall away (John 6:59-61). Even to this day, and “Shakingly” most pivotally so, people continue to become “embarrassed” by having to live by the actual words of Jesus Christ, and so what He has said to do, especially in regards to those in need, and exhaustively so (Matt 25:45), is just glossingly overlooked.

            This significant Supper’s element being Christ’s teachings is what reveals and produces the Righteousness of Christ for, and in, (True) Believers. And for this to truly apply as a sins covering, the “Right-Doing” of Christ ({Isa 45:19b NKJV}; COL 312.2-314.2), =“doing the right thing and at the right time” (WM 28.2; RH, December 1, 1896 Art. B. par. 12; cf. COL 97.3), also has to be heeded and emulated for then, sins of omission can/will not be covered. (Matt 25:45-46). Then will the ‘self-sacrificial lesson of the Cross’ (DA 623.4; RH, January 7, 1902 Art. A. par. 11ff) be learned and thus, through a derived lived out experience (1SM 25.4) powerful things be perceived and understood in (Apocalyptic) Prophecies (TM 116.1)...indeed such as presently being seen and done with these Prophetic/Apocalyptic “keys of the Kingdom” Parables!! (Matt 6:33)!!

                                               

Luke 13:30 - "And behold, those who are last will be the first and those who are first will be the last."

last <–> first - Though the word “some” is supplied in the NASB, it actually indeed is only those who, -as seen later at the Luke 14:14-25|Matt 22:1-14 Wedding Feast parable, are found to be not worthy of their privilege/calling will be removed and replaced by those who had been last. (Cf. LDE 59.1-2)

Luke 6:46  Matthew 7:21-23

           

Luke 6:46 - "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?

Matthew 7:21 - "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

Matthew 7:22 - "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'

Matthew 7:23 - "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Several additional potentialities here:

(1) These people had been doing those miraculous things under a false/Satanic spirit (cf. Rev 16:14)                                

(2) Given their manifest sincerity, just for the sake of those who were in need of these miraculous interventions, God answered those requests (cf. Luke 18:4-5ff)

(3) These people had enough sincere/genuine faith for God to work with, but they would end up coming up short. They had crucially ‘left something else undone’ (Matt 23:23)

            Whatever the case, it is clear that nothing short/less of heeding and executing the full counsel of God will result in an acceptable faith. People who are merely satisfied with external signs and wonders, and do not care to live by every word that God has spoken, will have such a agonizing “reward”.

            ‘Faith without (good) works’ is indeed dead (James 2:14-26)..So is, as Jesus stipulates here: ‘good works without (saving) Faith’ (cf. Eph 2:8-10). The first doesn’t engage or resolve the various genuine need issues of this fallen world; and the latter only patches up those issues with a temporary fix which is bound to resurface if the same course of sinful living is resumed/pursued (cf. John 5:14|DA 202.1) and God’s natural (e.g Rom 1:18-32) and spiritual moral& health laws are ignored/violated (DA 824.2-4).

            As spearheadingly seen here, the NJK strives to fully fulfill both ends of this True/Full Gospel Message and Mandate.

11-13. The Wedding Feast                                                               

            At this point in Christ’s finalizing teachings of His ministry (Matt 24-25), comes the theme of the “Wedding Feast” which he had made (re-)use of for Matt 25:1-13. Just earlier on this day, -which most Timeline Chronologists for Passion Week agree was on a Tuesday (see  here|here|here|here), and, being followed by a “Silent Wednesday”, was the last day of Christ’s public teaching ministry, Jesus had publicly spoken the parable of the Wedding Feast (Matt 22:1-14) directed (“again”) to the “chief priests and Pharisees” (Matt 21:45; 22:1). This parable is an tweaked, updating, restatement of this very same one that Jesus had given just ca. 3 months before (i.e. ca. Dec 30 A.D.) when He was invited, (in really an attempted sting operation set up), to have a ‘Sabbath meal in the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees (i.e. a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin)’ (Luke 14:1ff). Jesus was speaking to the “invited guests” (Luke 14:7ff), and pointedly answering one of them who had made a manifestly self-assured comment (Luke 14:15). Manifestly that guest, probably all these others, confused Jesus eating with them, with Jesus endorsing them, and as sure members of the Kingdom of God. So to (hopefully) disillusion, and warn, him/them, Jesus (first) gave this parable of the Wedding Feast. It is about what takes place both leading up to, and inside of, the Wedding Feast of Matt 25:1-3 that Jesus would later, on Passion Week’s Tuesday, allude to when speaking on the Mount Olives to His Disciples.

            But before exegetically/Spiritually analyzing that parable, it is significant to both see, read/understand and contextualize the related/derived mention of the “Marriage Supper of the Little Lamb” in Rev 19:7-9. Indeed several of the key themes, elements and points which had been made in Christ’s ministry parables of Luke 14:15-24|Matt 22:1-14 are cited in that (seemingly straightforward, but actually cryptic) prophetic passage

            First of all, relatedly, SDAs have been trying to make heads or tails about their, {whether they (humbly) accept it or not}, (actually merely remonstrating): Ezek 14:1-9 “half-prophet” Ernie Knoll, but it is no man-made deliberation or coincidence that the Heavenly Intelligence began his prophetic ministry with the “At The Table” Dream. Succinctly said here, it is an aspect of this Judgement-time Parable of Luke 14:15-24|Matt 22:1-14.

Context of Feast Revelation

            The sequitur background of the Rev 19:7-9 Marriage Supper of the Lamb Parable is the (finally) resounding Fall of Babylon of Rev 18. As already copious discussed precedingly in this post, that Judgement on Babylon is its “Second Woe” 9/11 II Event. As such it is a Fifth Series/Plague Event, indeed one which heightenly continues the “First Woe” event of the Fifth (Warning/Assembling) Trumpet (Rev 9:1-12)...which, even more specifically, was the (Militant-Islam organized [e.g. ISIS-level] fallout sequiturly stemming from the original 9/11/2001 Event. As such, the Eschatological, Second-Half, Blocs of Prophecy Developments of Rev 17 || Rev 18 || Rev 19:1-9, 10 || Rev 19:11-16, 17-21 can be seen as going by the Fourth Series+ Template as follows:

Rev 17= Fourth Series - Template & Consolidation of the Confederation which is to make war against Little Lamb (e.g. Rev 17:14)

Rev 18 = Fifth Series - Signaling Deliverance of Persecuted Righteous {from the activity of “Fifth (=Muslim) Army”} (e.g. Rev 9:1-12)

Rev 19:1-9, 10 = Sixth Series - Gathering & Readiness “Feasting Supper” of the Persecuted Righteous Ones (=Organizing the Sixth (=Philadelphian) Army”) (e.g. Rev 3:7-13)

Rev 19:11-16, 17-21 = Seventh Series Enduring death blow dealt to Babylon (e.g. Rev 16:17-21)

            So what takes place in these versions of the same “(Bridegroom/Little Lamb) Wedding Feast Supper” Parable reflects what is to take place, right here and now, in the (Earthly) Kingdom of God upon the Deliverance of God’s People for this ensuing “Temporal Jubilee Millennium” Era (EW 286.1).

11. Invitation to the Marriage Supper

Revelation 19:7-9                  

            This passage has already been commented on in the introductory part of this post dedicated to Rev 19. So there is no need to redo/restate this work here. So reading that commentary first is helpful as only additional/furthering points/comments will be made here.

Revelation 19:7 - "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."

His bride has made herself ready - It almost sounds as if the bride herself, i.e. the New Jerusalem, is being remonstrated for not have made herself ready before. But as seen in the next verse, that is because she is completely dependent on the “saints” to finally be doing righteous acts. Christ’s Church and its followers are indeed not complete unless/until their gift of salvation translates into freely done good works. Christians are saved (=recruited) into the Kingdom of God to, like Jesus, serve the rest of mankind in Spiritual and/or Humanitarian need (=Matt 10:7-8; Eph 2:8-10). I.e. into Christ’s, as discussed earlier: ‘Household of Slaves for His Therapeutic Healing Service’. (Matt 24:45)

Revelation 19:8 - It was given to her in order that she might/should clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

in order that she might/should - Again, the fulfillment of this “clothing” by this New Jerusalem Bride critically depends on what her populating/residing saints actually will go on to do. The whole purpose of this Marriage Supper if for these saints, =the invited guests, to “witness” that the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) and this (National/Territorial) New Jerusalem (Kingdom) are indeed married. Meaning their objectives are one and the same. And so, those who are associated with it, being the people here who have witnessed this marriage are to serve to tell others that these two are indeed legitimately married, which is by doing the Full Gospel Works of Christ now in and through this Nationalized Christian Kingdom Institution.

fine linen - =“righteous acts” This term dikaioma [#1345] speaks of “righteousness acts” (e.g. Rev 5:18; 15:4). It is related to the “justification” of God (Rom 5:16) and is indeed what God has “ordained” (Rom 1:32) & (legally) “requires” (Rom 2:26; cf. John 14:15) even through covenantally-binding “regulations” (Heb 9:1, 10). Law and Righteousness are finally “married” in this Christian Kingdom due to this realized level of Christian maturity. (Cf. Jer 31:31-34|Heb 8:8-12)...And this is the  “Everlasting Covenant (of Peace)” mandate of God (cf. Rom 13:8-10 from Matt 22:34-40) that He is (FINALLY) able to achieve and sustain with such an elect group of faithful “Zionistic” followers. (Rev 14:1-5; Isa 61:8; Jer 32:40; 50:5 Ezek 37:26; EW 285.1-2; GC 640.2)

the saints - = “holy ones” “set apart for holy use” - These “set apart for holy use ones” are the persecuted ones who were crying out for Divine help by the Fifth Series (Rev 6:9-11). Evidently finally their “number”, i.e. 144,000, has by now been made complete. They therefore can now constitute themselves into a Kingdom =the Kingdom of God.

Revelation 19:9 - Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who have been ‘the ones being invited/called’ to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are true words of God."

those who have been the ones being invited/called  - This seems like a wordy translation but that is how the underlying Greek participle, perfect passive nomative elements are jointly all best represented in an English rendering:

            Rev 19:7-9 indeed is expressed as the preluding statement about the Wedding Feast theme because it does not actually depict the Supper/Feast itself, but its preparations, including the assigned & provided wardrobe and the invitation call to prospective guest. As such it does serve as the introduction segment to Christ’s Parable of Luke 14:15-24/Matthew 22:1-14 despite having been given long after those parables in/for the content of Revelation. Jesus was here supplying the missing background of that Prophetic Parable. It was “true words of God” indeed.

            And, this next section commenting on the parables themselves, cannot be better prefaced by what the SOP says about the meaning and purpose of this Wedding Feast event:

“The parable of the wedding garment opens before us a lesson of the highest consequence. By the marriage is represented the union of humanity with divinity; the wedding garment represents the character which all must possess who shall be accounted fit guests for the wedding.”  {COL 307.1}

            Jesus is indeed looking for his character to be perfectly reproduced in His Church/Followers to bring about His Kingdom End. (=Matt 24:14/COL 67.3, 69.1)

The Reason For the Bridegroom’s Delay

            A very significant pertinent point that can, and thus must, be made here/now is in regards to the manifestly, even likely, reason as to why the Bridegroom was delayed in the Parable of the Ten Virgins.

            Earlier in the discussion about the “invited guests” it was inferred from the SOP’s citing in 10MR 204.3 from Eastern Wedding customs that the invited guests had been also present along with the awaiting ten virgins at the bride’s house (which is the house of the father of the bride). However in 10MR 204.3 the SOP is stating what typically occurred at (Near) Eastern/Jewish Wedding, pointedly in the context of discussing the Wedding of Cana episode (John 2:1-11). However when speaking of the Wedding Feast in Matt 25:1-13, though the SOP likewise makes a contextualize reference to Eastern/Jewish Wedding custom (COL 405.1), this point about the invited guests being gathered at the house of the bride, is (noticeably) not again/also cited. Then, while that may be the “custom” for Weddings, that does not necessarily mean how this one in Matt 25:1-13 had developed, namely either the real-life incident that Jesus had been observing, nor in the derived parable that Jesus went on to give.

            So the conclusion here is that, manifestly for the Wedding in Cana, the invited had gathered first at the house of the bride and then came along as a bridal party procession to the house of the groom where the Wedding Feast was typically also held. Or even if the invited guests had gathered at the bride’s house in the real life event that Jesus saw, He deliberately did not set it up as so for/in His parable.

            Now in the earlier commenting above, e.g. at Matt 25:6, the possibility of the invited guests also being with the awaiting virgins was mentioned, and used as/for a Spiritual/Prophetic point/application, and/but as this is not actually an explicitly cited element in the parable itself, it can only be regarded as having a Spiritual implication meaning that it in was/is “in Spirit” that the invited guests (=the invited/called choice ones from Babylon) are effective only Spiritually having this gathering with the awaiting assigned 10 Virgins at the house of the bride, but they are not actually physically there. Rather these invited guests are manifestly to straightly (physically) gather at the Wedding Banquet itself where they await the arriving Bridal Party.

            And this is calibrating correction is significant here/now because it allows to make the following observation about this parable of the Wedding Feast itself: It could be claimed and defended that the bridegroom, who, as discussed before, is the son of the “man-king” (=ruling-lord) of Matt 22:2, delayed his going to the father of the bride’s house where he would claim his bride, -and who would likely be leaving from this very same Wedding Hall location if/as that is also his house, because he was seeing that his father, the ruling-lord, was having problems getting people to attend this Banquet, and at the ‘full capacity’ that he wanted!!

            So, as later discussed in detail, this parable explains why the bridegroom was very so delayed in Matt 25:1-13. =2 Pet 3:9; EW 38.1-2. Then, finally, around midnight, when there were, after a third call, found enough guests willing to attend the Wedding Feast, the bridegroom went ahead to go claim his bride and bring her back to his home where this Wedding Feast was to be held.


12. Gathering of (Invited) Guests

Luke 14:15-24 Matthew 22:1-14

Luke 14:15 - When one of those who were reclining themselves at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, "Blessed is whoever will eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

heard this - Jesus had just given counsel to these Jewish leaders about ‘guests not seeking the highest/best places when invited to a wedding feast’ (Luke 14:7-11; cf. Matt 23:6); and how ‘a luncheon or dinner host should not invite those who can later return him the favor, but instead the poor/destitute and infirm’ (Luke 14:12-14).

blessed is whoever - That would seem like a honest reply which may seem to be understanding of what Jesus had just said about the poor/destitute and infirm being invited at such places of prestige and honor, but Jesus manifestly thought the this hearer, and likely the others, just did not get it. So that is manifestly why He gave this ensuing parable which, (as discussed here), in its first century A.D. application pointedly spoke the ministry calls of Jesus towards, first, the Jewish Nation. The Heavenly intelligence went on to apply this same template into the Eschatological Scenario, and, as it will later be substantiated, we find the fulfillment of the 3 calls in this parable reflected in the Three Angels Messages of Rev 14:6-12.

Luke 14:16a - But He said to him,

Matthew 22:1 - Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying,

spoke to them again in parables - In the Tuesday of Passion Week restatement of this parable, again also to Jewish leaders, Jesus had just given the parable in the Wicked Vinedressers vs. the Landowner (Matt 21:33-41) which the Jewish leaders only understood when Jesus appended pointed derived remarks to it (Matt 21:42-45). Manifestly Jesus was now trying to additionally show just how they were deserving of God ‘taking away the kingdom of God from them and giving it to others who will do its work’ (Matt 21:43)

           

Luke 14:16a -  "A certain man was giving a big supper, and he called/invited many;

Matthew 22:2 - "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man-king, whoever makes a wedding feast for his son.

a certain man vs. a man-king - When presenting this parable, the SOP makes an interesting comment which confirms/shows that both versions of this parable given by Christ, i.e. in Luke 14:15-24 and Matt 22:1-14 have a joint contribution (cf. COL 308.1) to make, indeed showing that Jesus had heightened things in the second version. In COL 307.2 EGW says:

“While the householder's invitation was regarded with indifference, the king's is met with insult and murder.”

            It is in the first version of this parable in Luke 14:15-24, that Jesus has a (man who is a) “householder”/“head of household” as the main character. Then in the second Jesus makes a “man-king” (=“ruling-lord”) be the main character. In the first version, the invitation through the envoyed slaves of the householder is merely excused and refused. In the second version, the some of the envoyed slaves are physically mistreated and even killed.

            What seems to have happened here is that in the first version, Jesus was pointedly speaking of how the Jewish nation/leader had rebuffed the invitation given by Christ through the missions of His 12 disciples during his ministry (e.g. Matt 10:5-20ff|Luke 9:1-11) and then also “the Seventy”; (Luke 10:1-2ff, 17-20) which is when the Jewish leaders “with a great show of prudence” put out countering efforts to prevent the success of this mission (see DA 489.4). And as DA 488.5 points out, in the mission of the 12 disciples, Jesus had only sent them to reach Jewish People (Matt 10:5-6), but in the mission of the Seventy, no such restriction against visiting Gentile and Samaritan regions is given. Here we can see the multiple calls which Jesus reflects in His parable.

            But with the second involving beating and putting to death these messengers, and culminating in the destruction of the habitations of those murderous rejecters, it can be seen that Jesus spoke of the future work of his disciples after He would ascend to heaven, which indeed was met with violent and murderous persecutions for some of them. And the end consequence was the physical destruction of Jerusalem (cf. Matt 23:37; Luke 19:43-44).

           

            So both the man=“householder” and the man-king=“ruling lord” characters have their joint significance. And furthermore, it can be see that just as God the Father and Jesus, God the Son, seamlessly worked together in this redemptive mission, the “man/householder” and the “ruling-lord” can be understood to be jointly working together here. And it can be claimed that the householder is actually the son of the ruling-lord.

            This therefore confirms the claim that this wedding feast was taking place at the household of the son of the ruling-lord, and that this ruling-lord had come over to this household of his son, and, (as discussed and claimed earlier) from his own “household of slaves” (=Luke 12:36), merely to organize this Wedding Feast for his son. Of course then this marrying son is the bridegroom of Matt 25:1-13 who is delayed by the encountered frustrations here in trying to first have filled up this Banquet Hall before he goes and claims his bride and brings her back here.

            Prophetically, it can be seen that the “great supper of God” in Rev 19:17 (discussed in here) is the one of second version of this parable in Matt 22:1-14 which has that destructive consequence implication from the enraged “ruling-lord” (Matt 22:7; cf. Rev 18:8-10ff)

supper - Luke 14:12 showed that there was a distinction between a “luncheon” (Greek: ariston  [#712]) = ca. 12PM and a “supper” (Greek: deipnon [#1173]) = ca. 6PM. It is the Greek word for “supper” which is being used here. (cf. John 13:2, 4; 21:20; 1 Cor 11:20-21) A “dinner” is usually associated with the ca. 12PM meal.

           

Luke 14:17 - and at the supper hour he sent his slave in order to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for it is ready now.'

Matthew 22:3a - "And he sent out his slaves in order to call those who were the ones who had been called to the wedding feast,

slave|slaves of the householder|man-king - “bond-servant” evangelistic messengers like, e.g. Paul and other apostles considered themselves to be (e.g. Rom 1:1; Gal 1:10; Phil 1:1; Tit 1:1; James 1:1; Jude 1:1; Rev 15:3). Also God’s Prophets (Rev 1:1; 10:7)

at the supper hour - thus at ca. 6PM, as the sun was setting then in that region. This shows that the Wedding Feast Hall was supposed to have been filled by ca. 6PM and so, if this had been done, the man/bridegroom would have been on time to go and claim his awaiting bride, and gathered 10 virgins, of Matt 25:1-13 at her father’s house.

            NJK Project Application - For the prophetic applications here, it is important to keep in mind that most of this parable takes place simultaneously as the one about the Ten Virgins. In the unfolding of the NJK Project, this parable is seen to have been fulfilled in the various “inviting calls” that were made to try to get various groups of people to join. The following is a listing of these “calls”:

(1) June 2000 - Emailings to (mainly North America) SDA Churches of (the original version of) this message from Rev 11:1-13 This was not really an “invitation” to the NJK Project, but more the announcement that the Eschatological Judgement of the SDA Church itself/first (cf. 1 Pet 4:17) had, indeed, now come.

(2) October 2000 - An emailing request was made here to the Theology/Religion Departments at North American SDA Colleges and Universities in order to try to get ca. student-researcher for the (still) planned WBSC College of Biblical Research initiative from the pool of former students they (likely) had who graduated but had not been employed by the SDA Church. That request was, quite tellingly, not complied with. (See details here)

(3) [December 2000 - An attempt was made to try to work on a (Divinely-led) innovation with the Engineering Department at Walla Walla College (now University), but despite having traveled cross country/continent to go there, that attempted cooperation was abandoned.]

(4) Late Winter 2006 - With the various feasibility research and website building work for the NJK Project’s website having been done between 2003-2005, a second round of emailings of this ‘“Show the World” the Church Triumphant’ message to even more SDA Churches was then done in ca. February-April 2006.

(5) Spring 2006 - Starting in ca. late April 2006 that message derived from the Spiritual deception of Capitalism was begun to posted, and more than less pertinently discussed, on various SDA Discussion Forums. That was an effective invitation call out to SDAs.

(6) July 2008/October 2009 - In July 2008, a summary posting of the book on the Seventy Weeks of Daniel was posted as the very first post of this Theological Views blog. Then starting in October 2009, the other posts of this blog began to be written, and so published. These internet/public posting effectively also made this a “call”, although from late 2009 through 2011 periodic emailings to SDAs was done to announce this blog listing the titles its blog posts up to then.

(7) February 2010 - An emailing was done to try to recruit people to participate in the WBSC initiative pointedly by sharing that study on the “Biblical Interpretation of Daniel’s 70 Weeks” (Dan 9:24-27) through contacting the authors of various websites which dealt with this prophecy.[14]¹⁴ 

(8) May 2011[-2013] - Starting here, and from then off and on to 2015, a renewed effort was made to reach out to SDAs, through various SDA Discussion forums, discussing very pertinent topics to the Theological Views blog, but these discussion typically ended in me being figuratively “being put to death” by the forum administrators either banning me, restricting or deleting my postings, and/or blocking my posting from public viewing, patently when my comments were, as per the counsel in Pro 26:4-5,  remonstrating their own moronic conduct/thinking and/or incorrect claims about the Bible. So I duly considered myself to be DONE with trying to reach out to SDAs specifically.

(9) May 2012+ - Having seen that nothing was going to be to with/through SDAs, I around this time had started to generally reach out to wider/(=non-SDA) Christians on a couple of online groups and forums.

(10) Aug-Sep 2012 - An emailing effort was made to Christians involved in the pro-life movement about the NJK’s “Aborting-Abortion” plans. See the referred to blog post and the responding (non cooperating) comments from some of the people/organizations contacted.

            So these, symbolically-significant enough 10 main attempts, -with the last 7 being various calls, both to, first SDAs, then wider Christians in general, do come to represent the various “calling” efforts depicted in this Wedding Feast parable, again which is concurrent with the sleeping Ten virgins parable of Matt 25:1-13.

Luke 14:18a - "But they all, as from one [=alike], began to make excuses.

Matthew 22:3b -  and they were unwilling to come.

all alike - They manifestly had not coordinated their refusals and excusings, but they still all alike did this, showing that they were of the same Satanic “unwilling” = “drawing back” (=EW 56.3) spirit.

            NJK Project Application - I likewise experienced a similar ‘like-minded “spirit”’ thing in the responses to my calls, which, when done via email contacting, was, especially in the pre 2009 ones, actually done through individual mailings. So only one email address was emailed at a time. Tellingly enough, any responses typically came with the first ca. 1% of the ca. 15,000 total emails. Either my subsequent individualized email were being labeled as SPAM and/or these subsequent recipients were warned/told not to respond. (=DA 488.5)

                                   

Luke 14:18b - The first one said to him, 'I have bought a field and I have the need to be going out and in order to see it; please consider me as having been excused.'

I have bought a field.... - Well it makes no sense to “have bought a field” but without having had first even seen it....and only now suddenly ‘have this need’ to do so...How convenient....And, it’s “the supper hour” (=6PM), the sun is about to set...what is this person going to see at night in that field anyway??! Clearly this person just did not want to attend this Wedding Feast, and if their “excuse” here was not an outright lie, it would have to be a manufactured excuse as this person having bought that land without seeing it just so they could claim this excuse in order to not attend the wedding feast.

            The “field” here is representative of the ‘field of the “world”’ in which the “sowing” kingdom work of God must be done (Matt 13:38; cf. 5:13, 14) which only those who closely adhere to Christ will ever truly overturn (Acts 17:6) overcome (John 16:33) and gain through the Gospel (Mark 8:34-38) as Jesus did from Satan (John 12:31-33).

           

            NJK Project Application - In Spiritual application, and upon the NJK Project initiative, the “field” here is the same one of Matt 13:44, which as seen here, is applicable to the Biblical Research “WBSC” endeavor which is fundamentally related to this New Jerusalem Kingdom work. Furthermore, in Matt 13:44, at least the one who boldly bought the field knew that a most valuable treasure was buried in it. But here, this person did not even know this to be even possible. Indeed they had no idea what they had bought. Clearly they were just going by the sales pitch of the seller, who of course would tell them anything in order to sell this field.

            The buried treasure is not what the world itself has to offer...because a treasure is not actually a natural product of a field, but what has been buried, and thus not known to be there, by the world. In short, what has been “buried” by the (fallen) world, is actually the fact that the world, and everything in it, belongs to, and was created for, the glory of God, as seen in the original, Edenic, pre-Flood, beauty and perfection of this World (Gen 2:12). Only Fallen Man has  made a god, which even decides who lives and dies, out of the material goods of this world.

            So the person here feels like the field in itself, i.e. even without a buried treasure, is valuable enough to be bought, with thus, the (Gospel) “treasure” itself being that world. So this is Spiritually all like people have attached themselves to a set of views/teachings of/in, outrightly, the World, and/or already mixed into it (e.g. (Protestant’s) Capitalism); and/or a Nationalistic Denomination (e.g. The Holy See’s Catholicism), but without themselves having found out for sure if what was being claimed was even the case. In fact, some have not even bothered to first see what they have bought into, but still defaultly/“traditionally” adhere to it.

            So the claiming of “having bought a field” in order to avoid to, even merely read up on what the NJK Project is all about, is seen in people who suddenly (effectively) claim that ‘their own world/religious/denominational view/tradition already either believes, teaches, stands for and practices all of what the national-religious NJK/WBSC do....So ‘thus consider them as having been excused from having to, even merely hear out, this Project.

            Such self-excusing claims can be seen in the typical responses to the various calls, enumerated in the verse section just above, which have been made to invite people to see/join this NJK Project and/or its derived supporting Institution/Ministries. (Most emblematically, see the responding comments, starting here).

                                                                       

Luke 14:19 - "And a different one said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am to make my (own) way to go test them out; please consider me as having been excused.’

a different one - Greek heteros [#2087] = “of a different kind”

I have bought 5 yoke of oxen - ...Again the similarly inherent irrationally of having first invested and made a purchase, without first ascertaining the worthwhileness/value of the product. Although this person is “different”, clearly they have the same irrational, and also dissembling, mindset as the prior self-excuser. And it is also close to/after sunset. Not sure a proper test of oxen can be done in the dark....So, this too is, at logical best, a self-justifying set up fake-alibi...

            NJK Project Application - ...Applicably, as in people claiming that their own religious organization and/or denomination have the same or better plans/project than what the NJK is endeavoring to do....and yet that supposed work is not being seen in the world. The circular belief/claim that they will see that such NJK-like work is done withing their own Denomination/Organization is actually just as moot as the excuses given in this parable....Because, figuratively speaking: either the already bought field will inherently be worthwhile, or the oxen be capable of doing the required work, or they just will not....One had to first ascertain this before bindingly adhering/contracting themselves to them. The Babylonian systems which opposers of the NJK are inherently binding themselves to, will, indeed inherently be able to do this Kingdom of God work....And that is why Babylon (Rev 17:18) is the (losing) arch-enemy of this NJK Bride (Rev 21:9-11).

            With a field being used in the first excusing above, which is symbolic of the world to be worked, the oxen here, which, as discussed in here, are symbolic of Godly/Religious/Biblical ministries, which are to work this field, then this excusing is Spiritually pointedly a claim that they have already bought into a way to work a field which they believe, -without even having prove it yet, to be better.

            So the field represented having bought into an overarching ideological world/religious view; and the oxen here represent having bought into a practical ministering approach. Both of these elements are set against God’s NJK plans, indeed through even preempting people for attending the wedding feast here and seeing what Jesus has to offer in these Biblical  plans for His Bride Kingdom. Worldly Customs and/or UnBiblical Man-Made Traditions instead of the Word of God...It is doomed to fail (Luke 6:46-49)

Luke 14:20 - "A different one said, 'I have married a wife, and through this I am not enabled of myself to come.'

I have married a wife.... - Wait....why can’t you bring your wife along????? For this excuse to even be remotely valid, this person would have had to have married this wife on this very same day as this bridegroom wedding, and so their wedding feast would technically be at odds with each other, as they would both be on this very same evening....But if/as this person was invited a while before, they then surely could have set their (supposed) own newly-done wedding for a different day....But they did not...So they actually really would have chosen to marry on the day that would prevent them from attending this wedding feast of the “Little Lamb” Bridegroom.

            In fact, the pointed reason here is that this husband is cannot take the decision of himself to come...I.e. this new wife manifestly won’t let him...(She must really hate the other bride)...

As the SDABC cites:

            “In Oriental lands, to decline an invitation—except where it is obviously impossible to

            accept—is often considered a refusal of friendship. Among some Arabs, to decline an

            invitation at the time of the reminder (see on v. 17), after having accepted the original

            invitation, is considered a declaration of hostility. On the other hand, to accept an

            invitation and to attend a feast is supposed to indicate friendship.”

            Without any a due, this (strategically) “interposing” wife is Babylon. Indeed always trying to eclipse the pure and true bride of Christ amongst professing believers, and has been quite successful in taking the world as her captive (Rev 18:23)

            NJK Project Application - Of course this is applicable with people who, explicitly or implicitly, decided to not join the NJK Project because it was not sharing their same religious beliefs. (Cf. e.g. here). Even the long-failed SDA Church is prefers to side with, =reciprocally as: “Sister Sodom/Babylon” (Ezek 16:46-50; Rev 11:8; 21MR 380.1)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Relation to Three Angels’ Messages

            The responses in these calls themselves reflect the calls of the Three Angels Messages in Rev 14:6-12

-The First Angel’s Message (Rev 14:6-7) is an announcement that judgement has come on the world. (cf. MM 131.5)

-The Second Angel’s Message (Rev 14:8) is an announcement that (the world-prominent) Babylon and its ways are Fallen.            

-The Third Angel’s Message (Rev 14:9-12), in its warning to not take the Mark of the Beast, is really a warning that ‘God Himself will do much worse than what the Beast threatens to do to those who do not adhere to it.’ (Rev 13:15-17) = Matt 10:28

Matthew 22:4 - "Again he sent out other [similar] slaves saying, 'Tell those who are the ones having been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are sacrificed and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast."'

other [similar] slaves - Greek allos [#243] = “of the same kind” - Although this is another/second call, the ruling-lord sees no need to change things here, and sends out a set of the same type/level of slaves as for the first call. The only thing that is changed is the more detailing specifications of the invitation message.

God’s Second Call(s) - From this we see a representation of the Heavenly Intelligence’s typical, merciful Two-Round Calls to people. The Second Call is typically a last stages call with certain more compel detailing given:

-In an application to Christ’s Ministry itself, this is a Two-Round Calling to OT Israel (i.e. from its foundation) (cf. Luke 13:6-9; cf. Isa 5:1-5). The First Call can through the prophets that God had been sending to them (Luke 11:49-51|Matt 23:29-32), and the Second Call came in this form of the advent of His own Son (Matt 21:37ff; Heb 1:1-2) accompanied by many clear and marvelous (miracle), ‘greater than OT era’, signs (John 5:19-20; Matt 12:41-42), under the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38).

-More narrowly, the dual ministry of John the Baptist, then, more powerfully, with Jesus Christ, is also a manifestation of a Two Round Call by God (Matt 17:10-13; cf. John 5:36)

-Christ’s Ministry itself went on to also have a Secondary Call. This was in the ‘greater works than Christ’s own’ (John 14:12) in the mission and ministry of Christ’s Apostles, now under the Early Rain’s Anointing of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:9)

In the history of, now, NT Israel, God also has had two stage calls. Secondary Call were effectuated in the Protestant Reformation, the 1840's Second Advent Movement, and now is to come the, itself Secondary (to Rev 14:8): Latter Rain Loud Cry Call out of Babylon (Rev 18:1-5ff)

                                                                                   

            The crafting of a preluding “wake up call” by Jesus in His Parable of the Ten Virgins, in the Midnight Cry (Matt 25:6), actually makes it a First Call which is to prepare people to be ready for the Second and Last Call in the actual appearing of the Bridegroom (Matt 25:10).

            As patent with those Secondary Calls, the message and type of messengers corely remains the same, however more, hopefully convicting, detailing is provided.    

Behold - I.e. ‘See (for yourselves)’....

prepared my dinner - It is odd that it is the Greek word for “luncheon/dinner (=12PM)” (Greek: ariston [#712]) that is used here and, as differentiated by Luke at Luke 14:12, then distinguishing applied for Luke 14:16, the Greek word for “ supper (=6PM)” (Greek: deipnon [#1173]). It seems that Matthew and/or perhaps Jewish people in general then, considered any simple meal, whether at 12PM or 6PM to be an “ariston”, but if/when that meal was given/partaken in a festive/celebratory/ceremonial context and occasion, then the term “deipnon” was used e.g. a “banquet” in Matt 23:6, especially as these gathering typically occurred in the evening. (Probably to allow time for preparing/cooking the meal/event as it really could not be prepared on, and preserved from, the day before and/or  any traveling by invited guests).

            And since the man-king/“ruling-lord” here is going into the details of the readiness of the meal itself, i.e. apart from the wider festal/ceremonial wedding context, then this is here being dichotominzingly narrowly viewed as a “simple meal”, and so is being momentarily referred to as an ariston. And as these are all the words of Jesus Himself in Luke 14:12, 16 & Matt 22:4; 23:6, and presumably a verbatim quoting[15]¹⁵, then it would be Jesus, perhaps also in a Jewish mindset, who was so considering a “simple” meal.

            It must be explained why, in Luke 14:12 both a “luncheon” and the “supper” are used for a banquet type of meal, both having invited guests, including important people. Perhaps this is similarly involving a distinction for a regular meal, but also with guest (=“luncheon-dinner”) vs. a celebratory/ceremonial meal (=“banquet/feast”). So the “luncheon” focuses more on people merely eating together, thus an association with the food being offered/eaten (hence this mention here in Matt 22:4); while the “supper” focuses on the wider occasion which is being celebrated here.

            Also with Josephus (at Life 54 [#279]) saying that Jewish laws (i.e. traditions) required a

them to have “dinner” on Sabbath at the “6th hour”, = noon, the man-King here may also be trying to point out that His Wedding Feast’s Supper was as prepared and/or significant, even lawfully binding, as a Sabbath Day’s Dinner.

oxen and fattened livestock are sacrificed - There is a theological implication with the term “sacrificed” here, which can guide a Spiritual application. A sacrifice of course represents an offer to, and accepted by, God.  In an application where this oxen and livestock represents ministering works, this can be seen as an indication that such ministries have been offer to, were done for, and have been accepted by, God.

            NJK Project Application - With this call here being a Secondary Call, it can be seen in the history of trying to share the good news of the NJK Project, that such Secondary Calls have indeed been made, particularly in the emailing/forums discussing and website & blog posting efforts. The online postings works were to give a greater detailing and through a volitional sacrificing to God which has proven to be accepted by the Biblical (New) Light that has been uncovered in such Theological Works.

            So generally summarily said: The NJK Project is now doing this Secondary, Latter Rain’s Loud Cry Call Out of Babylon of the Bride of the Little Lamb’s 144,000 New Jerusalem Kingdom Sealing (=Rev 3:12) Third+ Angels’ Message.

            In regards to the association with a “Sabbath’s Dinner”, the application here is seen in the fact that it has been copious shown how the NJK Project’s foundations and objectives are, like the SDA (letter of the law) understanding of the Seal of God/Mark of the Beast, also according to principles and mandates contained in God’s Seventh Day Sabbath Truth; and its derived Holy Spirit’s Sealing Implication (=Isa 58 = Matt 25:31-46 = Rev 3:12; see e.g. here; here, here) Indeed this is the SOP prophesied Latter Rain’s “Fuller Sabbath” revelation and message (EW 33.2).     

Matthew 22:5 - "But they neglected it by departing: one to his own field, another due to his merchandising,

neglected it - they did here the call, even noticed its validity (i.e. the supper was indeed ready), but neglected do their diligence to heed it by

by departing - the allow other preoccupations to drown out their duty to heed the invitation.

one to his own field - Manifestly this one was jealous to set up his own estate and preferred to go work on his field, perhaps already agriculturally set up as a “farm” (NASB).

due to his merchandising - Greek emporia [#1711]. Related to the Greek word emporos [#1713] =a itinerant/traveling merchant. (Mat 13:45; cf. James 4:13 [#1710]). This one allowed personal economic gain to misguide him. (cf. John 2:16 =[#1712]]). Symbolically non-coincidental that this is the same merchant “(pre-)occupation” as those closely, and drunkenly so, associated with Babylon. (Rev 18:3, 11, 15, 23)

            Both of these rejectors allowed their “cares of life” to lead them to neglect this privileged invitation. (=Luke 21:34; cf. Heb 2:3)

            NJK Project Application - With the Second + Loud Cry Call out of Babylon focusing of the “additional sins” which have since also entered Babylon, and with Babylon now being additionally a Socio-Economic (=Capitalism) Deception/Delusion which leads to sins of omission in regards to caring for the even “least of these” poor and needy, then it is fitting that the Secondary Call in this parable is being rejected with such economic-based excuses.

Matthew 22:6 - and the rest (engaged in) seizing/arresting his slaves and reviled/mistreated them and killed them.

seize/arrest, revile/mistreat and kill - Whooooaaaa!!!!! Where in the world did that reaction come from. Surely the “action” of merely inviting these, moreover honored/choice guests to this supper is no reason/warrant/justification for such persecutive, violent and murderous criminal reactions....But so is the patent reaction of people who allow themselves to be influenced and/or devotedly controlled by Satan. They then, being enemies of righteousness, react in this way to righteous people (2 Tim 3:12). That is indeed what went on to happen, as expected, to the Disciples of Jesus for merely preaching the Gospel. (John 16:2; Acts 14:5; 1 Thess 2:2) Indeed just like they had done to Jesus Himself. (Luke 18:32; John 15:18-25).

            Indeed: ‘rebuke a scoffer and wicked man and he will hate and insult/blemish you’ (Pro 9:7-8a). On the other hand: ‘reprove a wise man and he will love you’ (Pro 9:8b). Clearly these privileged invited guests were not “wise”, i.e. in the “wisdom of Heaven/God” which would have let them “foresee” the great honor and benefit of, merely attending, this Wedding Feast. Indeed they demonstrated that they had the contrary ‘demonic/Satan-borne (=GC 638.2& DA 256.5-257.2ff; cf. DA 746.4) earthly wisdom which is (idolatrously) controlled by “jealousy” (cf. Ezek 8:5-6) and “rivalry/selfish ambition”’ (=James 3:13-18). So they “selfishly” (see 4T 384.3ff) surely would not want to honor the marriage and feasting of someone they clearly were jealous of and considered a rival.

            These invited guests indeed do this because they have something against those who had organized the feast itself, either here the (man-king) father and/or the (bridegroom) son. (John 15:21, 23) They are indeed substantively at odds with them (John 16:3). Clearly this Wedding Event and Feast does not at all “delight/rejoice” them, and they think that if they can so manifest their animosity, opposition and rejection, indeed of merely being invited, then they can also ruin the event itself. In fact, by arresting, dissuading and even eliminating the slave messengers of that father and his son, making here a Secondary Call to them, then they will prevent the father’s and son’s capability of calling out to others. (=Luke 11:52|Matt 23:13) And seeing how the delay from being able to have guests attend the wedding feast did indeed delay the marriage ceremony of that bridegroom son (Matt 25:5), with most likely the son not wanting to humiliatingly have a ceremony for his bride with literally no guests present, then these mischievous imps saw that their malefic sabotaging plans were “viable”.

            As interpretingly/applyingly seen above at Matt 22:5, this Secondary Call is the “Loud Cry of Third Angel’s Message” of End Time Prophecy. (Rev 18:1ff) And the lawless and criminal reaction here is the also prophesied reaction by those who are not of this Biblical Full Gospel/Righteousness Light, but of Babylonian Darkness (=John 1:4-5) Even SDAs will, and ‘in lockstep’ (=1T 577.2-581.1), join those who rise up against and oppose this Light. (LDE 209.3-210.1) They do not want to have their works exposed as not having be done in (=according to) God (John 3:19-21). Their works have been done according to Theological and/or Economical Babylonian/Worldly (e.g. Capitalistic) customs and policies, and they can risk supporting this event which will expose their actual worthlessness.

            NJK Project Application - These are all effective-types of unlawful/lawless, indeed actionably-criminal, measures which have vexatiously be taken by people in order to oppose the NJK Project, indeed by (“Synagogue of Satan”) SDAs, Catholics, Protestants/Capitalists and Worldings.....Just as prophesied about this Satan-led Gog-Magog coalition gearing up for the Har-/Ar-Mageddon Showdown (Rev 16:12-16 = Ezek 38-39).

            Funny, but telling, how these people have all indeed reacted so persecutively and criminally merely for having been considered and/or invited to join the NJK Project. Clearly what the NJK is standing for and doing is a threat to their vacuous and deficient works. They love Darkness rather that God’s Light. Like the “son of perdition” Judas (John 17:12), these (effectively), also perdition Anti-Christ/Mark of the Beast (2 Thess 2:3ff) adherents think they know better (Matt 25:45) than Jesus. (DA 716-722)

Luke 14:21a - "And the slave came back and reported this to his master.

came back and reported - Of course, in Jesus’ initial expression of this parable, the slave here comes back and reports to his master, the head of the household, that the rejection of also this Secondary Call. But in the later Matt 22:1-14 version, this rejection is said to be accompanied by tangible acts of violence and crime against the messenger-slaves....But, as seen next the reaction is “enragedly” identical...                                                           

Luke 14:21b - At that time the head of the household was (being) enraged

Matthew 22:7a - "But the king was (already, been) enraged.

enraged - both of the translations here in these verses is from the Greek word orgizo [#3710]

was being|already been... - Although the enraged reaction is indeed (lexically) identical with both the feast-organizing father and the householder/bridegroom son, -as well as basically grammatically so being both (passive aorists), what is distinguishingly interesting here is that in the Matt 22:7's version, an augmented aorist is used, which indicates, in the indicative mood, an action/state which is in/from past time. Whereas in Luke 14:21, the head of the household had become enraged “at that time”, i.e. when this report of, merely, the rejection of the Secondary Call came in. Even with an “Ingressive Aorist” syntactical claim (e.g. GGBTB, p.559): “became angry” which has the meaning: ‘the king began to be enraged’, the past time indicating augmented aorist would rather make it say: ‘‘the king had begun to be enraged’. So this still is saying that this enraging by the king had taken place (even) before those reports of criminal violent opposition came in.

            So these two accounts are narratively sequiturly harmonized in the following way: Both the head of the household and the man-king father sent out the slaves under their own distinct command. The householder sent out his/a single slave (Luke 14:17ff) while the man-king sent out his larger group of slaves (Matt 22:3a). Various excuses were given to him/them and the invited guests were unwilling to come (Luke 14:18-20/Matt 22:3b). Upon hearing this report both the householder son and the man-king father became enraged. The man-king however then went ahead and made a Secondary Call (Matt 22:4). But that was also, now just summarily ignored (Matt 22:5) and the messenger slaves we violently/murderously mistreated. (Matt 22:6). The man-king himself, having already been enraged (Matt 22:7a), only heightened that rage by meting out due punishment on these criminals from the military contingent that he had at his disposition. (Matt 22:7b) Then the son and the father resumed their parallel (=John 6:44, 65*) joint effort to gather guests for the feasts (Matt 22:8ff/Luke 14:21ff)

* BTW: “draw” is in the subjunctive mood, therefore it is merely expressing an uncertain, but at a “probability” level, and not a certainty. I.e. Those people ‘might or might not be (successfully) “drawn”’ by God the Father to follow after Jesus.

Matthew 22:7b - "and he sent his bands of soldiers and [began to] destroyed those murderers and [began to] set their city on fire.

his bands of soldiers - Clearly this man-king/ruling-lord had militaristic means at his disposal.

            As repeatedly seen in the OT, God did indeed inflict such punishment on His Unfaithful people who, like Jesus clearly delineated, had engaged in abusing and murdering the righteous ones which rebuked their waywardness. (Matt 23:34-36ff/Luke 11:49-51; cf. Heb 11:36-38).

            In fact, going by the mention of “Wisdom” in Luke 11:49, which is later defined in Matt 23:34's version as being Jesus Himself, the most Biblically literate Jesus may have been using the ‘wisdom’s feast and invitation call’ of Pro 9:1-5ff as the principles template for His Prophetic Parable.

            And as patent then, not having such a military judgement force from His own people, given their pervasive collective apostasy, God summoned the “natural” enemies of His People to stand in as His earthly army. (E.g. Jer 25:8-9).  And with the punishment from Babylon then in Jer 25:10-11 being verbatim what God will inflict on the Prophetic/Spiritual Babylon (Rev 18:22-23), then it is seen that His once Chosen People had indeed become that Harlot Babylon.

            In the First Century A.D. this part of this parable was fulfilled in the Armies of “Babylon” then: Pagan Rome (1 Pet 5:13). I.e. in the (also OT prophesied =Dan 9:26b, 27b -details here&here) 70 A.D. Destruction of Jerusalem. But anticipating that His own People/Church would, -as seen above at Matt 25:1, become that World Super Power of Babylon, -by “resurrecting” for itself the Militaristic Power of Pagan Rome (=Rev 13:3), and thus really have no other country/power which could or would stand up to this world corrupting Satanic (Rev 18:2-3), False Christianity, Nation/Religion (=Rev 13:4), and even persecuting and murdering the righteous ones of God (Rev 13:7; 17:6; 18:24), God allowed, as per 1 Kgs 22:19-23, the Satanical creation of the Religion of Islam, and as a Militant Power all for the purpose of serving as His Babylon Checking, Limiting, Damaging Militaristic Force. (=Rev 9:1-12; based on “locusts” of Joel 1 & 2, see 2:11, 25b).

            What transpires here corresponds to that Midnight Cry’s Crisis Storm (=9/11 II Event) discussed above at Matt 25:6.

destroyed those murderers - So God thus could, and did/does, execute fully warranted and due justice on these “murderers”. As permitted (Millennial Era) Judicious Review will confirm, all of God’s Judgements where the lives of people/unbelievers were taken, will reveal that they were fully justified. (cf. Rev 15:2-4) And so in the case here in this judgement segment of this parable. And likewise, in its present-day, Eschatological, application, God’s judgement will prove to be fully warranted upon those “Babylonians” who are variously murdering the innocent and righteous.

and set their city on fire - It is not sufficient to put down the agents of this violent and murderous opposition. Their very livelihood resources must be destroyed so as to not offer a refuge for others who would want to reconstitute this group.

            And as this is a singular “city”. It is manifest that all of these privileged invitees were from one single city. Clearly, given that “burn it to the ground” command, it was not the same city as where the householder’s home was, in which the Wedding Feast was being held.

            This is also what is done from God to end time Babylon (Rev 18:6-10), -[the rival city to God’s “Holy City, Jerusalem” (Rev 17:18 vs. Rev 21:10; {cf. Matt 27:53}), indeed thinking to itself be God’s achieved: “queen of kingdoms” (DA 576.3 vs. Rev 18:7) ]...and indeed completely so (Rev 18:21ff). And as in Revelation, the affectation on the people of/in Babylon comes first (Rev 16:2, 10-11; 19:15) and later comes the physical sacking of their resources and city (Rev 16:17-20; 19:19-21)

[began to] - This is to indicate that an Ingressive Aorist is occurring here ‘to stress the beginning of an action [=destroyed] or the entrance into a state [set on fire]’. From comparing this judgement segment of Matt 22:7b with its thematically and chronologically corresponding section in/of Matt 25:6, as this Crisis Storm (=9/11 II Event) Judgement of God is taking place, it can indeed be claimed, as exegetically seen in the next verse, the (successful) gathering of (other) invited guests (Matt 22:9ff/Luke 14:21c ff) is being done.

            So the band of soldiers of the man-king immediately set out to carry out their orders and began to do so, as the rest of the narrative this parable continues to unfold in contemporary time. Indeed the fact that an aorist, functioning ingressively, was used, instead of an expected infinitive [i.e. “in order to” or “resulting in”] suggests that this is speaking of right then fulfilling actions, i.e. already having the intended end goal effect. But Jesus is showing that while this is going on, the rest of the parable is taking place.

            The guests gathering itself is completed around Midnight, when, then, the Announcement of the Bridegroom arrival which, as seen at Matt 25:6: ‘was being made’, comes to reach where the Ten Virgins are waiting.

            So, in summary of this very important and pivotal segment of Christ’s interconnected Series of Prophetic End Time Parables, it is here, with this militaristic judgement that God steps in to “bring about justice” (Luke 18:7-8; 5T 210.1) and Deliver (GC 635.1ff) His abused, assaulted, violated and killed elect. It is a just and warranted judgement which goes on to also destroy the resources and headquartering city of these wanton and lawless (=Neo-Babylonian) enemies.

            “Even the enemies of our faith, persecutors, will perceive that God is working for His people in turning their captivity.” {2SM 372.1}

Matthew 22:8 - "At that time he says to his slaves, 'On the one hand, the wedding feast is ready, but those who were the ones having been invited/called were not worthy/deserving.

At that time - As detailedly, exegetically explained earlier at Matt 25:1, the underlying Greek expression tote here, is not a “next” conjunction, but a contemporary time indicator. So it is here saying that “at that time” (i.e. while the man-king’s armies were out doing their avenging work of justice/judgement and utter destruction), the master was also working to send out his slaves to bring about a full gathering for his son’s (the householder’s) wedding feast.

he says - Expressed in the Greek present tense = A “Progressive Present” to “describe a scene in progress”. So while the band of soldiers are going out, the man-king (resumes) speaking to his servant-messengers.

On the one hand - The man-king is emphasizing the dilemmic fact that: ‘meanwhile’ his Wedding Feast is (still) ready. The wedding itself is going to be effectuated. In fact this feast is just a public celebration of it. It is really now up to people to come and ‘witness” it...Indeed for, Spiritually-speaking their (true) “joy” benefit. (John 3:29; 15:11; 17:13; cf. Matt 13:44; 25:21, 23)

the wedding is ready - With the understanding seen above at Matt 22:7 that: the mandate of executing justice and destruction by the bands of soldiers is ongoing at the same time as these events in the parable are continuing to unfold, this resolves the common conundrum amongst commentators who could not see/understand how the feast would still be ready as destroying those enemies and burning their city would take a while to be “firstly” completed. And there is also no need, as the SDABC does to claim that this was possible if the wedding feast actually lasted for several days, as indeed possible.

            Rather this parable all continue to unfold during that same night, between ca. 6PM and Midnight = the night of the Matt 25:1-13 Ten Virgin parable.

were not worthy/deserving - The Greek word here is axios [#514]. The English term “axiom” comes from this Greek word and means: “A saying that is widely accepted on its own merits” and/or “a proposition that is not susceptible of proof or disproof; its truth is assumed to be self-evident”. (cf. axiomatic: “Evident without proof or argument”). The Greek axios is also said to be derived from the notion of “to weigh”. Likewise, these people were just defaultly assumed to be worthy, even ‘on their face’, but they only proved to be ‘lightweights’, empty and vacuous.

            So, despite no doubt great professions and exterior facades, deep in their (self-deceitful -Jer 17:9) hearts (Matt 15:19; Luke 6:43-45), they were/proved to be, lawless thugs and criminals. They showed themselves to be nothing better than hindering, wheat-resembling, tares. (Matt 13:40-42, 43).

Luke 14:21c - and said to his slave, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes/alleys of the city and lead here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.'

Matthew 22:9 - 'Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as if you might find there, invite to the wedding feast.'

Go out quickly... - That is, not actually ‘leave at once” but, once in that city, move about quickly in its streets and lanes/alleys.

the city - This is most likely the very same, thus Babylon, city where these messenger slaves had gone before to call the refusing invited guests. So they would now be focusing on those who were not invited before, which were various people in socio-economic and/or health needs. These indeed were more likely to be found in the streets.

            What is likely here is that the man-king had his bands of soldiers garrisoned in another city/area and so these newly commissioned servant-messenger could/would have reached that city in time before the arrival of the soldiers and so would have made their call before the actual work of judgement and destruction began.

            With that band of soldiers being the God-allowed Babylon Checking&Punishing Force of Militant Islam they would indeed be located in a different city/area than either Babylon or the city where the Wedding Hall for this Wedding Feast is taking place.

            And in pertinent fact, eventhough this Wedding Banquet Hall is (very likely) in the household of son, with this pivotal “Marriage Supper of the Little Lamb” (Rev 19:7-9) taking place here and, as seen later on 1SM 109-111, this being the place where only Latter Rain Spirit-filled people are gathered/remain, the this could be seen as a temporary “commandeered” place, just like the “Upper (Guest) Room” was (Matt 26:17-18\Mark 14:12-15|Luke 22:7-12) for Christ’s Last Supper (John 13-17) and the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).

            So both the firstly invited people and now these lastly invited ones are all located in the world-overruling city of Babylon. (Rev 17:18) So this represents all of the people of the world, both Christians in Babylon and non-Christians being, especially socio-economically, i.e. capitalistically, steered by, now, (Neo-)Babylon (=the U.S. led “First World”).

            And just like the “Upper Room” was in the now former Holy City of Jerusalem, though not having any religious part in it, the Wedding Banquet Hall is located ‘where the witnesses of Christ had suffered like he did’ (=Rev 11:8 = Heb 13:12-13)...all in pursuit of their own (New) Jerusalem/Zion Holy City (=Heb 13:14; 12:22-23)

poor and crippled and blind and lame - Going by Luke 14:12-14, inviting this lowest class of people entails that the “reward” for this Wedding Feast would have to be out off for a much later time...At least until these people are “Spiritually” resurrected from their state of being dead in their trespasses and sins. (Eph 2:1-5; Col 2:13). So it was literally back to square one here with this lowest class of invitees.

main highways - These are the main road, probably leading to that main/important city. People in need would indeed line themselves along the main thoroughfares of a main/important, =frequently&widely visited city, where people with means and/or traveling merchants would come and go, in order to obtain some charity. [Cf. the (clarifying) discussion of Christ’s healing miracle along the way(s) into/out of Jericho at Entry #75 in here]. So these wayside beggars are to be focused on now.

as many as if you might find - It is not actually a guarantee that such people in need will be found, but “if” they might be, indeed as probable.

invite & lead = These people should be (merely) called/invited (i.e. not forced) to attend this Feast, and if they accept, then they would be ‘led” to the location of the Feast.

Luke 14:22 - "And the slave said, 'Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.'

there is still room - There typically is much more people in need than privileged people who are well off. If the Wedding Hall would have been filled by the first invited, privileged guests, then the fact that there is still room here after the much more numerous pool of needy people has been tapped, and with even the invitation to a festive and plentiful meal not able to interest a lot more of them, this all shows that this pool of invitees was really the bottom of the barrel. Not even their needy state could motivate them to pursue this, even wider possible, opportunity to fellowship with a well-off householder and his powerful man-king father.

Luke 14:23 - "And the master said before the slave, 'Go out into the highways and along the (walling) hedges, and compel in order to come in, so that my house might be filled.

said before - Greek pros. This is thus expressed as almost a formal pronouncement. As if this was an injunctive decision by the Householder. Indeed he was mercifully allowing for this, most patently, “Secondary Call”. (Just like in EW 38.1-2). The same mercy which had been extended to the “Upper Class” of Invitees, was also granted to this “Lower Class”.

the highways and along the (walling) hedges - The prior dispatch had been to “street and lane/alleys” areas within the city. But now, with manifestly the city already being subject to death and destruction, the people who would have survived from the city, pointedly only those who had not firstly rejected the invitation, would now be also located along these main highways/roads towards, and its (walling) hedges of, that city. That is indeed where all those permitted to escape from that proscribed and now burning city would have gathered. (=Rev 18:9-10ff)

compel in order to come in - The mere/passive “inviting” approach is discarded. And now a compelling force is to be used. This does not necessarily mean by ‘arresting physical force’ but my persuasive/intriguing speech (just as Paul did for evangelism - 2 Cor 5:11a; cf. Rev 19:15). Detailing the substance/“glories” of the feast, -(just as “Secondarily” done earlier for the first group (Matt 22:4)), and also, if these “Lower Class” people felt inherently too unworthy/unfit, the promise of supplied Wedding Robes, should be enough to help especially those who priorly had been on a fence. Many perhaps thought that this was too good to be true, and just a scoffing prank, and so did not bother to go see. But this Secondary Call would/should convince them of the seriousness of this invitation.

so that my house might be filled - Succinctly, applicably said here, the Householder did have (the prophetic) “144,000” set seats to fill in. His grander plans with, and from, this Wedding Feast (see Luke 19:12ff = Luke 12:36) could only best proceed if that number, of actually: NJ Kingdom leadership positions, was fully met/filled (cf. Rev 6:11).

            This is actually what ‘thoroughly executing the word/(“will”) of God throughout all the peoples of the earth’ (Rom 9:28) is all about. With those professing to be Christians, albeit in Babylon, not having prove to be so, Christ has made the acceptance bar to be admitted into this Wedding Feast, and potentially become part of its wider Kingdom plans, the “(humanitarianly) good works” of the people here, will, and surprising to them (=Matt 25:37-40), be accounted as a ‘God-pleasing (self-)sacrifice’ (Heb 13:16) and so justifying/saving righteousness (Eph 2:1-5, 6-7, 8-10; James 2:8-26). Just like God used prophetic demonstrations/revelations/interventions to “compel” heathens like King Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2; 4) and Cyrus (Isa 44:24-45:7; Ezra 1:1-2ff; Dan 6; Jospehus Ant. 11:1.2 [#5] -calibrated here) to do His Will, the sharing here of the, priorly withheld, furthering details of what is fully involved in this Wedding Feast: I.e. that it is to present, discuss, recruit for and organize a (systematic good works) Kingdom (Luke 19:12ff = Luke 12:36) should indeed be enough to attract sincere and serious people from this (heathen) “Lower Class” (=LDE 218.5; Rom 2:8-16).

Matthew 22:10 - "Those slaves were going about into the streets and gathered together all who they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with those reclining at the table.

all who they found - Clearly the “compelling” approach was very successful.

both evil and good - Jesus knew that because of the failure, and neglecting refusal, of the privileged first, His Kingdom would have to cast a wider, almost indiscriminate, profession-of-faith/belief trusting, “dragnet”....which would gather in both good and bad people who would later have to be seperatingly and expulsingly dealt with. (=Matt 13:47-50)

the wedding hall was filled... - No things can proceed. Hopefully people would be smart enough to comply with the freely supplied qualifiers for this Important Gathering....Hopefully...or else, as seen next, they would have to be duly dealt with. All who remain and proceed forth to the greater things of this Kingdom Feast, though priorly unknown, now must comply to remain. (Cf. Rev 7:13-17)

            So the group of “Favored/Privileged/Upper Class” had been invited, implied that they would attend by no priorly RSVP-ing/communicating their non-willingness to attend, and then, when the time of the feast came, they refused to attend, even with repeated invitations. Some from the group of “Needy/Rabble/Lower Class” people had refused their initially invitation, but then later, changing their mind, even if through convincing compelling, they attended. This is all along the template of Christ’s Parable of the Two Sons (Matt 21:28-32).

+++++++++++++++++++++

            So to, at this point, put these pivotal developments in their (most probable) overall chronological order along with their Prophetic Outline context:

Prophetic Series 5 (Rev 9:1-12; 16:9-11)

-The first two calls of invitations to the “Upper Class” are rejected, including with criminal violence.

-A dispatching order is given to the man-kings bands of soldiers to execute judgement and destruction.

-The poor and sickly “Lower Class” are called upon to attend the Wedding Feast. Many do accept.

Prophetic Series 6 (Rev 9:13-21; 16:12-16)

-The bands of soldiers arrive at the proscribed city and begin their work of slaughter (Cf. Ezek 9), expulsing those who are not to be subject to this judgement from the city which is about to be ensuingly set on fire and destroyed.

-Those who are spared this judgement flee that [First World’s Capital] city and mass about its surrounding walls/hedges and its main roads leading to it. Some of them are still salvageably good, others are just resolutely evil to the core (=Rev 9:18-21))

-These loitering ones are reached by the (mercifully injunctive) Secondary Call to them, and they are, in some way, compelled to attend the Wedding Feast. Satan also counters with his own “compelling” force on those who still remain. (=Rev 16:13-14, 16)

Prophetic Series 7 (e.g. Rev 11:15-18; 16:17-21)

-With the judgement slaughter complete, the city itself is not sacked.

-The, by now, Fully Staffed, Organized and Prepare Kingdom, -the end goal objective of this Wedding Feast, is finally rolled out (Rev 11:15-18)

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            In terms of having an hour-by-hour timetable of the unfolding ca. 6PM-12PM events here, in order to see how this all resulted in an Announcement only at ca. Midnight, it can be surmised and inferred that at:

ca. 6:00PM - No one actually had showed up to the Wedding Feast. They surely had been invited/informed well in advance. So they naturally should have already have gathered at the Wedding Hall in time to partake of this already prepared Supper.

6:00-7:30PM - If a “roundtrip” total of ca. 1.5 hours is given to complete a first round of calling and invitation here: E.g. 15 minutes to travel to, and back from, that city, and 1hour to go about and call on the invited people, then that First Round of Invitations would have been completed by 7:30PM.

7:30-9:00PM - Just as the First Call, the Second Call to this Upper Class likewise takes around 1.5 hours, and thus is completed around 9PM.

9:00PM - Around this time, the man-king sends order to have his bands of soldiers go execute a judgement work, by first killing all of those murderous initial invitees.

9:00-10:30PM - Meanwhile, at this time, a call to the Lower Class is set in motion, which likewise takes around 1.5 hours to complete.

10:30PM-12AM - A (compelling) Secondary Call, also of 1.5 hours is mercifully granted to the still remaining people in that Lower Class, which also takes around 1.5 hours to execute, or a little less, since there now is not much negotiating/pleading that is involved, given the use of compelling force here.

12:00AM - So it is (indeed) around midnight that the Wedding Hall if finally filled with the prepared number of guests, and so the Wedding Feast can begin....and the announcement of this, =the “Midnight Cry”, is now made.

            It is probably just around this time that the physical destruction of the city of the rebel invitees begins, with all of the Capital Punishment phase of that judgement having first been completed. And so it would actually be the “rumor” of the physical destruction of the Babylon city, with it actually being set on fire (Rev 18:8ff), which coincides exactly with the sounding of the Midnight Cry. Perhaps it is only just then that people will realize the irreversible Judgement effected on their beloved Babylon.

Luke 14:24 - 'For I tell you, none of those men who were the ones having been invited will taste of my supper.'"

none of those men - All of their priorly assigned to seats (=144,000 leadership positions), will be sure to all be given to other, albeit less refinedly pre-qualified, people. As Jesus repeatedly indicated: ‘The last will indeed be the first’. (e.g. Matt 19:30; 20:16; 21:31)

            By the end of a Primary Invitation/Call Wave (cf. Mark 1:14-15), ending in the event of Christ’s Crucifixion, really only 12 people at best, =Christ’s own disciples, (=the ‘“slave”(John 15:15)-messengers (Matt 10:5ff)’ in this parable), had accepted the call and partook of Christ’s Passover Lamb Supper. None of the others who had been invited were present here. However, as in the parable above (Luke 14:23), in a mercifully granted (Luke 23:34) Secondary Invitation/Call Wave (Acts 1:8ff), -so that too, ‘Christ’s New Covenant House would be full’: 3000 (Acts 2:41) then 5000 (Acts 4:4), and many others (Acts 2:47; 5:14; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 21:20), including ‘many of the priests’ (Acts 6:7), came to believe and thus partook of Christ’s ‘New Covenant Supper’ and also received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).

            So manifestly the ‘door was shut’ to pointedly the individuals who had priorly been actually invited, but, and unlike some reluctant ones (e.g. John 12:42-43ff), had shut their own heart to answering (cf. Rev 3:20).

taste of my Supper - Christ’s Wave of Invitation/Call culminated in a (Lamb’s) Supper (John 13-17) which also had as chief themes of: the Holy Spirit (John 15-:26-16:15) and (Philadelphian) Brotherly Love (John 15:12-17; cf. EW 15.1|Rev 3:9) & Unity (John 17:11, 22). At this time Christ’s “body” and “blood” were consumed (Matt 26:26-28 = John 6:30-63) and His teachings were (more than before) ‘plainly expressed’, and thus clearly/easily understood (John 16:25, 29).

            So from all of this it can be deduced that: “Christ Supper” = the ‘New Covenant Passover Supper’ = the “Lamb’s Marriage Supper” (Rev 19:7-9) actually involves not only a tangible consumption of food (bread and wine), but a Spiritual imparting of the clearly understood instruction/teachings of Christ. Christ’s figurative statement in through John 6:30-63 spoke pointedly of this. (Cf. Deut 8:3|Matt 4:4; Jer 15:16) And the SOP reveals in TM 116.1 that this will result in God’s End Time People understanding powerful things from the (esp. eschatological) prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. Indeed fully aligning oneself with the mind and character of Christ should indeed lead to, and through the Latter Rain Unction of the Holy Spirit, understanding the/His “Testimony of Jesus” (Rev 12:17, 19:10; 22:8-9)

            So it is no surprise to see that those Triumphant ones who will be those who have partaken of this Passover-fulfilling Supper of Christ, will know, understand and sing the “Song of Moses and the Lamb” (Rev 15:2-4).

            So in summary: In this (Midnight) Marriage of the Lamb Supper, the stipulations of the “Covenant of Peace”/“Everlasting Covenant of God” is, ‘sentence-by-sentence’, plainly presented/explained/understood by the gathered prospective 144,000 (=EW 285.1-2|GC 637.1 = Ezek 37:26-27) sealing them for God’s Pre-Glorious Second Coming, Temporal Jubilee Millennial Era (=EW 286.1).

            As the SOP pertinently says about all of the whole foundational purpose and aimed at glory of this whole work:

“As the Saviour came to glorify the Father by the demonstration of his love, so the Spirit came to glorify Christ by revealing to the world the riches of his love and grace. If the Holy Spirit dwells in us, our work will testify to the fact, we shall lift up Jesus. Not one can afford to be silent now; the burden of the work is to present Christ to the world. All who venture to have their own way, who do not join the angels who are sent from heaven with a message to fill the whole earth with its glory, will be passed by. The work will go forward to victory without them, and they will have no part in its triumph.” {RH, December 23, 1890 par. 22} 

13. The Wedding Feast

Matthew 22:11 - "But when the king was come in in order to take notice of those reclining at the table, he saw there a man who had not clothed himself in wedding clothes,

to take notice... - It does not even seems as if the King purposefully came in to “inspect” the guests, but just to take notice of the overall, finally gathered, crowd. Manifestly just to make sure that everything was, as expected, in order, to now be able to tell his son that it was okay to go ahead and claim his awaiting bride and bring her back here for the Wedding Supper. ...But this one guest clearly stood apart from the rest...

had not clothed himself in - If you go to a dressed/uniformed event, but you have not clothed yourself in the required dress/uniform, then that on its face indicates that you don’t want to be/belong there.

wedding clothes - Much has been said, pointedly in SDA circles, about this wedding garment, seeing it as representative of Christ’s (sin-covering) Righteousness. But in regards tot his issue of Christ Righteousness, SDAs are patently stuck in just a partial understanding of all that is involved here. As relatedly discussed earlier at Rev 19:8 which identifies these wedding clothes with righteousness, the meaning of that Greek term there: dikaioma [#1345] speaks of involves “righteousness acts” i.e. ‘deeds/works of right-doing’. The SOP itself, in its popular treatment of this parable in COL 307-328, also showing how it is representative of the Investigative Judgement process where one’s profession of faith is verified/proved, EGW was deliberate to show that ‘works of right-doing’ was indeed also verified here as that is what fully having the character of Christ would involved (COL 312.2-3). Paul is also careful to associate good works as a product of saving/genuine faith (Eph 2:8-10), and famously so is the Apostle James, and also in a context of Judgement (James 2:8-26). So to miss this point about the Full Righteousness that to be taken up here, really has to be out of deliberate indifference...Just like this rogue wedding guest....And ‘judgement was merciless’ to this person who thus ‘preferred to be partial, and thus merciless, against people in need’ (James 2:8-13; Luke 10:25-29, 36-37; Luke 14:12-14; DA 497-505).

            It is pertinent to see that in Satan’s, Protestant-Heralded, Babylonian Capitalism system, its chief tenet is “Personal Responsibility” (see e.g. here), which means the people are to suffer the consequences of their own choices and failures, thus all social safety net systems should ended and Laissez Faire Capitalism instituted. However while this is being encouraged in regards to the poor, great “partiality” is rather systematically given to help/bail out the rich. While the Bible is clear that everyone should do their part to work, and so eat, the Bible is also clear to help out those in genuine need. And in a (Capitalistic) Economic System which has no qualm of maximizing profits and dividends by eliminating jobs (e.g. through automation) there comes to be genuine cases of people in need in those societies.

            The Christian’s Mandate is to do the good works to remedy those needs, pointedly caused by the greed and selfishness of men. And the “right-doing” of this wedding garment involves such merciful works. Most fittingly, with that garment being prominently representative of Christ’s mercy, the ones who are to clothed themselves with it are commissioned to ‘likewise be merciful to others in need’ (Luke 6:30-37; 10:36-37)...Will Jesus find Christians in the End Times who have such a Full Level of Faith (Luke 18:8), or will Christian Charity have been diluted and/or completely eclipsed by Satan’s World-Capturing Capitalistic Selfishness/Covetousness Snare??? (=EW 263-266-269ff).

            That is the pivotal issue of/for the Final “Har-/Ar-Mageddon” Conflict (Rev 16:12-14, 15, 16) and this Wedding Supper is where the saving instructions to be on the right side of this Climatic War (=Rev 17:14; 19:11ff) will be imparted and consumed....And all one needs to be able to remain part of this Triumphant Gathering is this: True Faith, Right-Doing, Heavenly-loomed, Wedding Garment!! When the Son of Man comes to receive His (Final-SuperPower) Kingdom (Luke 19:12ff; Dan 7:10-14 = Dan 2:34-35; 44-45) and who do not thus qualify, and thus are just cogs in wheel hindering the advancement of Christ’s work, will be uprooted and discarded. (Matt 13:41-43)

Matthew 22:12 - and he says to him, 'Companion, how did you come into here without having had/held a wedding garment?' But the man was silenced.

Companion - Greek hetairos [#2083]. This is an interpersonal association/bond which is lower than a “brother/beloved” (e.g John 15:15 -Greek philos [#5384]). The betraying Judas was called a “companion” (Matt 26:50) i.e. he had been (merely) associated with, walked along with, Jesus. Likewise this rogue guest merely has a technical association with this Gathering of the man-king’s feast, having accepted to come along, but clearly is not willing to be any more closely/intimately involved or invested.

how...without having had/held - Clearly with most of these “Lower Class” guests being in various need, they surely were not expected to having found and worn a wedding garment for this, moreover, last minute feast. So this required garment was clearly provided to them by the king. The emphasis of the [NASB untranslated] “having had/held” verb here (Greek echo [#2192]) implies that this guest also had been given a wedding robe like all of the other guests, but he chose to discard it. Manifestly the guests were given those garments before they entered the Wedding Banquet Hall and were expected to put in on/change into it.

            The question of “how did you come into here” implies that he somehow had managed to sneak his way into the Wedding Hall, probably fooling those who were perhaps checking out the guests as they entered. So the man-king “honestly” wanted to know how was this possible. Perhaps some mistake on his part, perhaps in a misunderstanding that the robe which he had received had to be worn, and at all times, was the fault. The man-king did want that all the guests maintain this Righteousness/Right-Doing when in his Wedding Hall.

But the man was silenced - As many times with Jesus’ accusers, the question itself was enough to expose the wrongness of his opposers. (e.g. Matt 21:24-27; 22:41-46)...Clearly the only options that this rogue guest had was to tell the truth or to lie, but both would clearly show him to be at fault. He could not even lie and claim that “he had not received a robe” or “no one told him he had to wear it”. Both of these lie made no basic sense....Furthermore, just by looking around and seeing that he was the only one who was not appropriately dressed, would have naturally led him to ask about for a robe too. So he clearly did not bother to care to wear this (Righteousness) robe...and so the king easily saw through at this evil intent of his heart.

            What had likely had happened is that the rogue guest had received the robe and put it on just to get by the door check and into the Hall, but once inside he took it off. And manifestly permanently got rid of it, so that other people wouldn’t be asking him why he wasn’t wearing that robe he was merely carrying along. Moreover, he was hoping to dupe people into believing that the clothing that he had one was what had been supplied to him, which would be a high handed insult to the king as that robe sure was not “bright, clean fine linen” (Rev 19:8)

            LOL...Additionally, this rogue guest was probably a priorly rejecting “Upper Class” invitee (=a (privileged) “son of the kingdom” cf. Matt 8:11-12|Luke 13:25-30) who had escaped the slaughter and destruction judgement of the king and decided to come to the feast, just to eat the food, while also dissimulating himself here as manifestly no one had been left in the streets outside by the king’s gathering messengers (Matt 22:9-10), but still maintain his animosity towards the bridegroom and/or his man-king father, by not wearing the supplied robe, which would indicate that he was a festal participant. He wanted to attend the feast, but on his own, and oppositional (=unrighteousness), terms...But that just would not stand.

            NJK Project Application - As stipulated for the NJK-HQ phase of the NJK Project, that humanitarian & evangelistic ministry-segment (i.e. distinct from the NJK-HC) is actually open to all/any who want to do the good works it is working to accomplish. There is also an implication that, to have a share in the housing and residency benefits that this NJK-HQ institution will be supplying to its workers, one has to agree to live according to Biblical Principles and Requirements. So, as with this scheming rogue attendee, it can be expected that some will try to have and enjoy these residency benefits while not planning to comply with the requirements, but such people will likewise be easily, and self-exposingly/disqualifyingly, seen...and duly dealt with...as seen/done next....

Matthew 22:13 - "At that time the king said to the deacon-servants, 'Bind his feet and hands, and throw him into the outer darkness; there there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

At that time - i.e. as the rogue guest was “silenced-ly” not able to give any true/valid excusing/disculpating reply.

deacon-servants - These are not the (messenger-)“slaves” (Greek doulos [#1401]) of before (Matt 22:3, 4, 6, 8, 10|Luke 14:17, 21-23) but “deacons” (Greek diakonos [#1249]). Manifestly this is a different grouping of the king’s (or the householder’s) servants who themselves are charged with such security details. They were probably the ones responsible for checking to see if those entering the hall had put on their wedding garment.

bind his feet and hands - It would seem that just kicking that rogue guest out would be sufficient, but the king insisted that he be so completely arrested/immobilized. Clearly he was not to escape his fate. His most self-evident deception in trying to enter this Wedding Hall deserved this ensuredly enforced punishing. He, -being just like the violent hypocrite evil slave discussed earlier (Matt 24:45-51), could not be allowed to “escape” this due punishment. (Matt 24:51)

            This binding was also to prevent this deceiver from trying to get back into the Wedding Hall.

the outer darkness - Being around, or even passed, “midnight” now, it certainly was naturally dark outside. Perhaps the work of destruction of the king’s dispatched soldiers on the prior rejecting invitees was just now completed...But the king was making sure that when these soldiers would also come across this tied up man, -who clearly was not being allowed to run off, they would see for themselves that he too must be correspondingly dealt with. The earlier killed rejecting invitees were likely burned up with their set ablazed “Babylon” (Rev 18:8-10ff) city, and any who had managed to hid within the surely encircled and thus enclosed city, would have agonizingly burned up alive in that fire (~Matt 13:42, 50). While so arrested and awaiting in the dark for his surely coming judgement, i.e. when he would be found by the soldiers of the king, this rogue guest would have this time to “weepingly and teeth gnashingly” (=“agonizingly”) think through just how he had needlessly brought about this doom to himself.

            At this prophetic “Midnight” Era, the only shining light is within God’s Kingdom. Outside is deep darkness and a burning, or by now, burned up, Babylon. So anyone so condemned to leave God’s Kingdom Institution and go out in the darkness of world, would have to try to manage to make their way there, but that will be severely complicated by them having been completely bound up.

            NJK Project Application - Applicably, continuing the NJK Project Application of the verse above, it will surely not be of any benefit for someone to try to cheat/game the NJK’s Righteousness Residency Benefit as, anyone who is found to have done so, indeed who cannot provide a judiciously valid excuse, will be condemned to pay back the value of all of the residency benefits that they had fraudulent obtained...and, punitively, at World/Capitalistic market values. So if one has no intention of ever complying with those residency requirement, then, do yourself a favor and don’t lie and pretend that you are intending to....

Matthew 22:14 - "For many are called ones, but choice ones are few."

called vs. choice ones - As patent with proper exegesis, this statement, and thus its meaning, is best understood when first accurately translated. The terms which are typically rendered as being verbal, namely “called” and “chosen”, are actually both adjectives. They therefore do rather mean: “called ones” and “choice ones”. Therefore the actually meaning here is that: there are many people who are called (=invited) ones, but from them there really are few who are choice ones.

            That would seem like an odd thing to say to conclude a parable where only 1 out of many guests were found to be unworthy. But looking back to see where all of these other guests were “compelling” taken from, they clearly were not “choice” guests....as had been the first group of invitees who had all rejected the invitation...and thus actually made themselves to not be “choice ones”. As relatedly stated in Rev 17:14, those who are additionally “faithful” (cf. LDE 62.1) are those who continue following along (Rev 14:1-5) and fight on the side of this Little Lamb Bridegroom. (=Rev 19:14).

            And from a comparison with the relatedly theme depiction of the “narrow way; shut door” (=Matt 25:10b) parable of Luke 13:23-30, to the question of: “Are there just few who are being saved?” (Luke 13:23), the answer from this Matt 22:1-14 parable actually reveals that many, even every is, or at least, before the end, will be, given a “compelling” chance to be saved, and so ‘thoroughly execute the word/(=“will”) of God throughout all peoples of the earth’ (=Num 14:21 = Hab 2:14 = Rev 18:1ff)...and that “compelling” chance then will be through the Loud Cry of the Third Angel’s Message’s (Rev 14:9-11) effectuation.

            Only those who then are “stubborn” (Rom 2:5ff)) to be disobedient and refuse to do what is self-evidently the right thing to do, will, as the rogue invitee here, self-expose and disqualify themselves. (Rom 2:11-16) The “narrowness” of Christ’s “way/door” is in regards to ‘faithfully/enduringly continuing to do what is right to the end’ (Matt 10:22; 24:13; Luke 18:8; Heb 12:2 = Rev 14:12; 17:14b), i.e. when they surely will be persecuted merely for the (remonstrating) testimony of/from their ‘Kingdom of God’ (Matt 24:12-14) ‘right-doing’ (2 Tim 3:12; cf. Matt 10:16-23).

Pivotal Conclusion

            ....And so, the most pivotal thing to take from this parabolic admonishment is that: the “reality” (=Matt 24:14) as to why the Advent of the Bridegroom itself is delayed, is because God/Jesus cannot get the supposedly “choice people” (i.e. the seeming leading/most Biblical Christians) to accept His invitation to attend the Marriage Feast of Him and His (New Jerusalem = Church Triumphant) Bride of the Little Lamb. (Rev 21:9-10)....And God is so mercifully patient (=2 Pet 3:9; cf. here)...but only unto a (no longer excusable) point.... Indeed... since:

“The joyous festivities of a Jewish wedding were preceded by solemn religious ceremonies. In preparation for their new relationship, the parties performed certain rites of purification and confessed their sins.” (CTr 229.2)

            and as, applicational-wise, this has been done through this “Theological Views” Blog, which is, and increasingly so, showing that this NJK Project is indeed most Biblical & Prophetic, then it is indeed the sequiturly due joyous gathering together of the (‘whimsically and/or mischievously’ non-complying) wedding guests which most detrimentally (for the unsaved) is holding things up....But the Heavenly Intelligence has (long) had (=Amos 3) a ((naturally/seamlessly) fitting/deserved =Isa 30:8-15ff) Plan B (Matt 22:7-9)....

++++++++++++++++++++++

SOP Vision of the Important Building

“Importance of Receiving the Holy Spirit”

RH, April 11, 1899 par. 1-5, 6-13

(1SM 109-111 & RH, December 6, 1906 par. 10-14, 15-23)

           

            On (Friday night) December 23, 1898, (while [in her banishment//exile] in Australia; and while attending the Newcastle Campmeeting {which she, and W.C. White, were ‘impressed to attend’ -See 4BIO 371.1-374.4}), Ellen White “passed through an impressive experience that molded her Sabbath-afternoon presentation”. It was a vision of the night about the ‘Admittance into an Important Building’ which had the overarching Spiritual point of: the “Importance of Receiving the Holy Spirit” all from lessons in heeding the counsels of Christ and emulating His character. Several allusion were cited in the vision which clearly shows that it was (expandingly) based on Christ’s Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matt 22:1-14 and its preluding prophecy in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb of Rev 19:7-9.

            As a succinct preview here from those many allusions:

-that “Important Building” was the Wedding Banquet Hall of the Parable;

-the “sentinel at the door” was a (head)-“deacon” who was responsible to verify those who were try to enter the building;

-the sought for/required qualifier of ‘the reception of the Holy Spirit’ was either the proper reception of the Early Rain or, at least a working knowledge of the (True) Latter Rain.

            Now, given that the overarching theme of this vision is about receiving the Holy Spirit, and given that the “Early” and the “Latter” gifting of the Holy Spirit is also symbolized, respectively, with: “wind” (John 3:8; Acts 2:2) and “rain” (Joel 2:23-24), it may be no coincidence, but an orchestrated Divine Object-Lesson, that the Sabbath Day meeting, with EGW to speak during the  afternoon that a long drought in the region was suddenly ended here by “a terrible tempest of rain and wind” (4BIO 372.3-5). EGW goes on to describe this storm as: “The wind became a howling gale, and continued over the Sabbath. Sabbath the rain just poured down, as if the windows of heaven were opened.” The people at the campmeeting had to battle with these adverse conditions which greatly affected the smaller tents. Only the bigger/newer Main Meeting Tent was able to hold through the ‘raging storm’, though it still caused intermittent drowning-out noise disruptions to the sermon.

            Again, with God being able to takeover control of nature, I do see that this “terrible tempest of wind and rain” was intended to be an object-lesson of the theme given in that vision of the night before. Indeed EGW herself went on to see & state that “I made this a symbol of what the Lord will do for his people in letting the latter rain of his rich blessing in truth and righteousness fall upon them.” (RH, April 11, 1899 par. 13)

            That vision did affect what EGW went on to preach about in her ca. 5-hour (=‘3PM-ca. Sundown’ [=8PM then in Newcastle, Australia]) session that Sabbath afternoon, yet the storm itself came to disrupt her preaching several times. They had to pause her sermon, as the congregation couldn’t hear it over the raging noise, and engage in singing (manifestly (also) pertinent rain-themed songs) during those periods. This is all like the fact that the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, pointedly in its Latter Rain manifestation, will indeed “interrupt/disrupt” the normative state of things and of doing things amongst believers....even the words of EGW (i.e. her non-SOP expressions/statements). She said she related the principles of what she had seen in the vision, but the exact words of that sermons were not recorded/published. Not sure how long for did the storming rain and wind disrupt her speaking session, but her sermon likely lasted a while and was more protracted than merely the statements of the vision itself.

            All this to say that that experience is most emblematic of the Latter Rain Outpouring Event...I.e. its attending circumstances. It will indeed seem like a raging storm (cf. “a mighty/violent rushing wind” Act 2:2) and torrential/flood-threatening rains. It is no wonder that the SOP states that this Rev 18:1 Latter Rain Light, (indeed which preludes and focusedly/detailedly warns of the Fall of Babylon (Rev 18:2ff), will seem dangerous and threatening to those who are not ready to receive it, even SDAs (LDE 209.3-210.1). The Latter’s Outpouring is couched in a Storm...tangibly: that “Crisis Storm” of the Midnight Cry. “Truth” and “Righteousness” will indeed be its hallmarks: I.e., as presented in this “Theological Views” Blog: Exegetically-Biblical Truth and Full-Gospel “Right-Doing” Righteousness. As SDAs, along with other Christians, are quite wanting/deficient, and self-confidently smugly so, in both these areas, then no wonder they will disregard, and tangibly even oppose as dangerous, the manifestation of this Glorious Light by those who know and understand it.

            EGW herself would (indeed) seem to be impeded/disrupted by this Outpouring but that is only because the (Early Rain) Light that she had been given, and the understandings that she arrived at/derived from these, are being reinterpreted, calibrated, updated and/or superceded by the Latter Rain revelations...much like what had to be done with OT prophecies in the light of the New Covenant’s effectuation in the context of a woefully failed Old Covenant Israel. God’s plan was to seamlessly usher in His New Covenant with a triumphing Old Covenant Israel, but when they failed, i.e. by themselves having murdered their Messiah, God had to redraw those OT prophesied Zionistic plans into now the context of a New Covenant, mostly Gentile-population, worldwide-established, Spiritual Israel.

            So the “Latter Rain (Crisis) Storm” will indeed disrupt things, including, Spiritually: SDA/EGW preaching (i.e. understandings), and, Temporally: -as with the smaller tents of those campgoers in Newcastle, the residences of gathered believers and (Christian) seekers/visitors (from what is said about that campmeeting, it manifestly predominantly had such non-SDA seekers/visitors in attendance (e.g. ‘ca. 800 out of 1000’ (4BIO 372.2=RH, April 11, 1899 par. 4)); while the ‘new&better built/designed’ Big Meeting Tent was capable of withstanding the storm. But this will just be The Shaking’s rearranging of things, indeed in God’s “Whirlwind Storm” so that only “what cannot be shaken will remain” (Heb 12:27; Amos 8:8-10) and God will be able to build up His (‘voicing-initiated’, World-resetting) Davidic Jerusalem Kingdom’s Jubilee Millennial Work from that better, Christ-established/Rock-Solid (Luke 6:46-49) foundation. (Amos 8:11-15) (=Heb 12:18-29; See EW 41.1-2; 285.1, 286.1|GC 635.2, 636.2-3, 640.2) And just as many in the Newcastle Campmeeting had testified that “it was the best Sabbath meeting they had ever enjoyed” (RH, April 11, 1899 par. 5), people will come to see the Great Blessing which are found in the “(Isa 58) Fuller Sabbath” understandings which sealingly-frames this Great Work fo God.

            So the following section is a commentary on that important and pivotal vision EGW but, as with the other commentary in this “Theological Views” blog, according to the understandings of God’s Latter Rain Light, which indeed has been based/borne on two key things: a more accurate, through proper and deeper, linguistic and/or contextual, exegesis of the Bible and the Full Mandate of Christ’s Gospel and His/Its Righteousness = “Right Doing”. In effect, this “Latter Rain”-guided commenting builds up on what the Early Rain should have already wrought. EGW mainly spoke under an Early Rain anointing/understanding, but her counsels do serve, when full heeded, as the foundation for what is to be done in the ensuing Latter Rain anointing:

-{The SOP text is the collating of EGW’s three primary publishing of this vision/experience. [Red inline] comments/references are supplied}

            It was at the very beginning of this meeting, and immediately after the weeks of anxious labor to rid the Cooranbong church of the spirit of criticism, that the Lord revealed the spiritual condition of many, through an impressive dream. This dream was afterward published; but it contains instruction which throws much light on conditions existing today in some of our churches where every member should be wide awake to improve unusual opportunities for soul saving. The dream, with the accompanying instruction, as published, is as follows:--  {RH, December 6, 1906 par. 16}

spirit of criticism - Manifestly this was the prominent issue of fault within the SDA Church back then. And if that was indeed their most serious issue, then it can be deemed that they had it well off, but, just like the Pharisees of old, even if this was a last barrier to (acceptable) perfection, it was a major obstacles which they needed to get over...but just could not...and it would spell their doom.[16]¹⁶

            During the night of the first Sabbath of the Newcastle meeting, I seemed to be in meeting, presenting the necessity and importance of our receiving the Spirit. This was the burden of my labor--the opening of our hearts to the Holy Spirit. On one occasion Christ told His disciples, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." [John 16:12] Their limited comprehension put a restraint on Him. He could not open to them the truths He longed to unfold; for while their hearts were closed to them, His unfolding of these truths would be labor lost. They must receive the Spirit before they could fully understand Christ's lessons. "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost," Christ said, "whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." [John 14:26] {1SM 109.1}

“I have yet many things to say” - Isn’t this indeed the main obstacle to SDAs and other Christians to receiving the Latter Rain’s Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Just like the Disciples were not then yet ready to hear from Christ, -(because of their minds being closed throughout Christ’s ministry, even right up to then (Luke 22:24ff)....after Christ’s grand modeling of true humility (John 13:1-17), to self-seeking and self-ambition), about how His Glorious Kingdom would now be delayed, but His Work was to go on unabated being now to upbuild a Church amongst the Gentiles (cf. Eph 2:19-22) and spread it throughout the World, -(something that would spearheadingly done through the Apostle Paul (Acts 9:15)), so aren’t SDAs & Christians ready/willing to walk in the injunctive light of God’s ‘prolonged time’s Great Work’ (15MR 292.3-4) for a “Plan A” Jubilee Millennium Era. Like the Disciples of old who could not fathom that the grandiose Jerusalem Temple would be destroyed (Matt 23:37-24:2) and superceded (Eph 2:21-22; Heb 12:22-23; 13:12-14), even, if not: especially, the most faithful/devoted Believers today cannot stomach/accept that their hopes of a Second Coming reward in their lifetime and/or that the various Christian institutions which they had build up will, respectively, be postponed and be superceded by God’s NJK Project Work. So, as with Jesus trying to relate this to His disciples for 3.5 years, trying to present this prophetic reality to such Believers today would indeed likewise be “labors lost”. They just had not begun to seek (Luke 9:45), therefore had not been given/obtained (Luke 18:34), and therefore did not share in (cf. Matt 16:21-23), Christ’s self-sacrificial Spirit which would prefer to lose all such self-gratifying/aggrandizing things in order to save as many as possible. (Luke 9:54-56))

            -Hence evidently now, why God had effectively “semi-strictly” counsel-commanded to not bother trying to share these things to people who are devoid of His (Latter Rain) Spirit. It would indeed have been labors, over the now past 18 years, lost...and most costly so, even distractingly and/or disroutingly hindering/skewing the actual preparations advancements of this NJK Project itself. The present online/blog-publishing work is indeed the most fitting communicating work to be done under such default opposition circumstances. In the ideal circumstance, these Spiritually deficient or devoid people would of themselves see their shortcoming and wrong and diligently repent to do and obey all that God “fully” requires of them, but it really takes the super-natural power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the natural tendency to not voluntarily take oneself out of their comfort zone.

            But God has always had a way to jolt this need to His reluctant believers. For the 12 disciples, it was the unraveling of the Rejection and Crucifixion of Christ which they had long been blissfully ignoring Christ’s warnings, teachings and prophesyings about. For Believers today, as see with the 10 Virgins, it will be in the sudden, “Midnight Cry”’s, prophesied 9/11 II Event, Crisis Storm. After that jolting/sobering/awaking reality, then will these Believers be contritely willing and ready to heed all that Christ had been prophetically testifying of (cf. John 14:26), as the rest of the Bible had, -as also for this NJK Jubilee Millennial Era, also been prophesying about (Luke 24:25-27).

            So like these “self-seeking” and/or “Biblically-undiligent” humbled followers of Christ, the Midnight Cry Event will humble those who have been, even persecutively/tortiously/torturously so, standing against the NJK Project message and work. And they, at least the actually humble ones, will then seek to learn and understand all that they had priorly been been vacuously dismissing. But as seen in Christ’s pertinent parables about this end time development, very few of those who had been priorly invited actually go on to make it even after these development. Some, as with the moronic virgins of Matt 25:1-13, just do not have what it will take to be still considered as reliable leaders then, and so they will be left out. Others, like the rejecting invited guests of Luke 14:15-24|Matt 22:1-14 will have disqualified themselves by having so hardened themselves in opposition that the only just thing left to do is to make them pay for the highhanded/criminal trespasses that they did in their opposition. (cf. Luke 14:24; Isa 63:1-6). So it is to be expected that it will be (“only very,”) very few “choice ones” (Matt 22:14), and a lot of the (physically and/or Spiritually): ‘poor, sick and needy’ (Matt 22:8-10) who will be given this chance to lead and participate in, the establishment of this Kingdom Work of God.

            Funny that much of what ‘is to be remembered and revealed by the Holy Spirit’, has actually, and deliberately/purposefully so, already be said, i.e. posted/published (=Mar 290.3-4)....So it will only be then that these things, and their Biblicalness and significance, will suddenly enlighteningly “hit” the now opened, and Holy Spirit-primed, psyches of these prior opposers. A common expressed or unexpressed “excuse” from those who have been interested in reading/studying the messages from these NJK postings has been that: “they do not get it” and/or “it is hard to understand”...Well then, they will suddenly either “get it” or they will know that they better make that require extra dedicated effort to “get it” (cf. Isa 52:14-15; Rev 19:12, 16)....

                       

            In my dream a sentinel stood at the door of an important building, and asked every one who came for entrance, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost?" [~Acts 19:1-7] A measuring-line was in his hand [Zech 1:16, 2:1-5ff; cf. Ezek 40:3~Rev 11:1], and only very, very few were admitted into the building. "Your size as a human being is nothing," he said. "But if you have reached the full stature of a man in Christ Jesus [Eph 4:13], according to the knowledge you have had, you will receive an appointment to sit with Christ at the [110] marriage supper of the Lamb [=Luke 14:21-23|Matt 22:8-10]; and through the eternal ages, you will never cease to learn of the blessings granted in the banquet prepared for you. [=Rev 7:13-17] {1SM 109.2}

an important building - As seen from this vision as a whole, the allusions are clear that this a modernized/updated take on the Wedding Feast event/theme of the already discussed, various culmination parables of Christ. They indeed all involve, revolve around and/or derive from a central focal theme of that Wedding Feast. So the “building” where this most important event is to be held, certainly itself comes to indeed be “important”. From the pertinent indications in the wedding feast related parables, it has been shown that this place where the Wedding Feast is being held, is actually the house of the bridegroom himself, the same “householder” giving a (wedding) feast. So that Wedding Hall Building, -where this pivotal “Wedding Feast event” for that ‘finally readied and clothed “Church-Bride”’ (=Rev 19:7) is held, is, effectively, the “Church Plant” for the True (Remnant) Church of Christ where the properly studied, understood and built up foundations of the Two-fold (Ecclesiastical and Civil) Witnesses of God in the Church and Kingdom of God will be fully implemented. (=Rev 11:4). The “seeding” of the Church&Kingdom work of God will be (“nurserily”) sown and nurtured in that Temporal Kingdom-launching NJK-CC Phase. And in its “fully-bloomed” finalized form, it will become the Global, FSZC Remnant Church, =the Overcoming Laodicean Church (=Rev 3:21).

"Have ye received the Holy Ghost?" - While it may seem natural to merely think that this is a straightforward questioning, the fact that it is a verbatim of the question in Acts 19:2 (KJV) is cryptically indicative that this is a prophetic element/statement with a broader Spiritual meaning/implication. And that greater meaning is found from the context of Acts 19:1-7 where it is found. There, Paul came across, during his travels, some disciples who only had be baptized by the baptism of repentance of John the Baptist and did not even know that there was such a thing as the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They had believed in Jesus, had repented of their sins and been forgiven/cleansed of them, but they were still lacking the Holy Spirit’s (Early Rain) unction which would assist them in doing “Greater Works” for Jesus (John 14:12).

            So likewise, Christians who may be now operating under that Early Rain Outpouring will however now need to furtheringly get the Latter Rain’s Blessing. Quite pertinently, I have only heard of the ‘Latter Rain” understanding/teaching within SDA circles, while the rest of Christianity who speak of Receiving the Holy Spirit, commonly do so in reference to merely the Acts 2 Early Rain Event. So like those disciples that Paul met, they too would say to such a question, i.e. of the sentinel at the door of this important building: ‘No, we have not even heard whether there is a Latter Rain Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.’ (Acts 19:2) That Latter Rain unction fits its receivers to most clearly see, understand and inculcate the courageous Loud Cry message of Rev 18:1ff whose work is to be done by what will begin to be set in motion by what will take place beyond the doors of that ‘important “Wedding Hall” building’.

            Just like a copious and grand meal is partaking in and consumed at a Wedding Banquet, so will those who are allowed in this Important Building be partaking in a “full course” Biblical meal, one which expounds on the bread=body and wine=blood of the Bible-centering teachings of Christ. And so will the prophetic mandate of this NJK Bride be fully, properly and “sealingly so” (=Rev 3:12) understood.

A measuring-line was in his hand - The “measuring line” is used throughout the Bible to measure in relation to the Temple (Rev 11:1), Holy City (Zech 1:16; 2:1-5ff) = Kingdom (Ezek 40:3ff) of God. It measures it to see if it practices justice, righteousness and truth (Isa 28:17; cf. Isa 5:7; Amos 5:24; Zech 7:8-14).

full stature of a man in Christ Jesus - Thus not/no longer being Spiritually immature/moronic and  ditsy/“blissful” Biblically-ignoramus “grown-up children”. The (true) “measure of a man” is how they measure up to the requirement of/for admittance and also fitness for the Kingdom of God. This is actually what was provided for by the supplied “righteousness/right-doing”, “bright, fine linen wedding garment” As the SOP says:

“The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed; the righteousness by which we are sanctified is imparted. The first is our title to heaven, the second is our fitness for heaven.”  {FLB 116.2}

            The man/woman that will “measure up”, and so be allowed to enter in here, will be those who are willing to be ‘sanctified from the fallen world by the Truth(s) of God’s Word’ (John 17:14-19), and so have no problem donning the “righteousness/right-doing” character of Christ.

according to the knowledge you have had - Those who are admitted in are not expected to have had full knowledge of all that God requires of them. They will instead be expected to have faithfully lived up to whatever quality or amount of light that has shone on their life path(s) (cf. Rom 2:12-16). In that “Midnight” manifested hour of (another phase of) God’s Judgement (=Rev 11:13-14; 14:7ff), those with clean (=“blameless”) hands and a pure (=“honest”) heart will be spared here through Christ’s grace (EW 15.2|Rev 6:15-17; Mal 3:16-18).

you will receive an appointment to sit with - I.e. their will be a seat = place = position “appointed” for them in that NJK-CC “wedding banquet” phase where the will get a chance to partake of its teachings and so be able to informedly/educatedly decide what they will do then....I.e. if they will accept to go forward and be involved in the next Phase of the NJK’s work: the NJK-HQ.

...never cease to learn of the blessings granted... - Indeed in the advancing Eternal light of Eternity, when/as continual blessings are learned and enjoyed in discovering and seeing God’s Infinite Glory and Works, those ‘unworthy one’ who had been granted that privileged to come and learn about God’s Ways, and moreover be saved and sanctified by having been allowed to have a leadership/front-line part in executing His Redemptive and Great Controversy-deciding Work (Rev 7:13-17), will indeed be forever grateful of that extended and bestowed “Wedding Banquet appointment” (=Rev 19:9)....

            ...You’re Welcome...

            "You may be tall and well-proportioned in self, but you cannot enter here. None can enter who are grown-up children, carrying with them the disposition, the habits, and the characteristics which pertain to children. If you have nurtured suspicions, criticism, temper, self-dignity, you cannot be admitted; for you would spoil the feast. All who go in through this door have on the wedding garment [Matt 22:11-14], woven in the loom of heaven. Those who educate themselves to pick flaws in the characters of others, reveal a deformity that makes families unhappy, that turns souls from the truth to choose fables. Your leaven of distrust, your want of confidence, your power of accusing, closes against you the door of admittance. Within this door nothing can enter that could possibly mar the happiness of the dwellers by marring their perfect trust in one another. You cannot join the happy family in the heavenly courts; for I have wiped all tears from their eyes. [~Rev 7:17; 21:4] You can never see the King in His beauty if you are not yourself a representative of His character. {1SM 110.1}

grown-up children - As copiously encountered, is that ever an apt characterizing. The thing about children is that they have no judicious filter. They say whatever crosses their mind without first having pondered, weighed and/or thought it through. Much of that is from a natural general lack of knowledge, and that certainly is not/no longer excusable amongst adults, including in Spiritual/Religious matters for people who claim to be Believers.

            ...But didn’t Jesus say that we had to ‘become like little children’, and in order to enter the Kingdom of God (Matt 18:3, 19:13-14; see below at 1SM 110.2). But the setting context of what Jesus meant when he said this is surely to be considered (which is something that “Spiritual adults” diligently do). [In fact adults who much prefer to not diligently seek to ascertain and weigh all such pertinent facts and information are being “moronic”....And there is a lot of that (secular and Spiritual) psychological malady in the world today]

            In Matt 18:1-4, Jesus was countering the reoccurred “greatness” argumenting of his Disciples. So he told them that they had to ‘turn away (=become converted) from this prideful/selfish thinking’ and become humble like a little child. As He had said, it is ‘the meek/gentle (~humble) who will inherit the Earth.’ (Matt 5:5; cf. 11:29)

            The pointed issue in this vision is ‘the lack of humility’, and yet the rebuke is about ‘still acting like children in adulthood’. So really it is a false-humility that is being presented. People are thinking that they are being humble by being moronically injudicious of their own character and disposition. Like children they (still) do not do any self-introspecting. The “perfect trust” that is being sought and protected in this realm is not one which is based on willful blindness, where people prefer to not know rather than to diligently and properly seek to arrive at the truthful answer. So those who, in their pride, and really a self-idolizing “false zealousness” which vexatiously seeks to see others fail so that they can exalt themselves, indeed cannot be allowed to “join the happy family in the heavenly courts”. Such a disposition is detrimental to the forward advance of God’s people.

wedding garment woven in the loom of heaven - An expression that I found to be intriguing here is this term “loom”. While it can indeed be understood in this context as, as it was in EGW’s days: “(2) a frame or machine of wood or other material, in which a weaver works threads into cloth” (=1828 Webster Dictionary), the word itself which was used to name this weaving machine actually has a very telling basic/underlying meaning.

            The other 3 cited definitions of this term are given as:

1. In composition, heir-loom, in law, is a personal chattel that by special custom descends to an heir with the inheritance, being such a thing as cannot be separated from the estate, without injury to it; such as jewels of the crown, charters, deeds, and the like.

3. A fowl of the size of a goose.

4. That part of an oar which is within board.

            Succinctly said, the notion which in some degree underlies all of this meanings/usage is the harkening of a visible end/part/product back to something that is to be considered even more powerful/authoritative/important. I.e.:

(1) a “heir-loom” has its worth in the “inseperable” estate from which it descends. Without that link, the end object itself has no value.

(3) A fowl that is the size of a goose may seem like it is lesser than, because it typically cannot fly..or at least as performantly as other birds. But with “geese” seeming to be the pointed fowl of size reference, this is quite the referential honor as geese are famously known for their migratory flight exploits. So calling a fowl a “loom” merely due to its size, would be a harkening to the fact that it is still a bird and, like geese, it can fly.

(4) An oar is nothing useful or empowered without that part of it which is within board from which (human) mechanical force can be exerted on and through it, and produce useful power in the paddle end of the oar. So the loom of an oar is the part which empowers the whole tool.

            So speaking of a weaving machine as a loom, would seem to be an inferential description where it is being connoted that the real important thing of any robe which is produced, is that weaving machine which had put it together. The robe itself is nothing, it is what had weaved it which is owed all the credit. This is much like today actors and celebrities always being asked when they parade in grand clothing/dresses on a red carpet: “who are you wearing”. I.e. who is the person who designed that suit or dress. The suit or dress may seem fine in itself, but its real value comes from their designer.

            So in a similar way, having a robe (=righteousness = right-doing) which is not from above/heaven, but merely according to Earthly standards is not acceptable here. Just like the rogue visitor was thrown out of the feast for insisting to were his “earthly” woven clothing instead of the “heavenly”-woven, and freely-provided one, God does not consider an “earthly”, = “humanistic” righteousness/right-doing as being good or sufficient. As stated earlier at Matt 25:10, that is the ultimate and culminating battle line of this Great Controversy is over what is true righteousness as defined by what is actually love. In the “Love Chapter”, 1 Cor 13:6 is clear that ‘(true) love does not rejoice [=find joy] in unrighteousness, but in the truth’. So the sequitur correlation is clear: True Love fully incorporates Truth which results in discerning between what the “right thing to do” is and so truly joyfully doing it. In today’s world all of these things are turned upside down, starting with the perverting, or just ignorance, of Truth. From Abortion, to Homosexuality to Indecency/Fornication/Adultery various forms of “false love” are claimed as the justifying/warranting motive. But these are all claims of (outright or effective) Unbelievers which are, or choose to remain ignorant and uninformed of the actual/full truth involved. “Ignorance is indeed bliss” and for these practitioners of such unrighteousness to be able to “rejoice” in these acts/activities, they firstly have to reject or avoid the Truth of these matters.

            So people who are choosing to variously not don the righteousness which is determined by Heaven, but instead wear their own standard of right vs. wrong, will not be admitted into this heavenly realm. And this is not only limited to “heathen” out in the world, but also, and most deceptively, to professing Christians, (whether (e.g. Humanistic) Liberals or (e.g. Capitalistic) Conservative), who variously think that they know better than God, Jesus, the Heavenly Intelligence and the Bible.

            "When you give up your own will, your own wisdom, and learn of Christ, you will find admittance into the kingdom of God. He requires entire, unreserved surrender. Give up your life for Him to order, mold, and fashion. Take upon your neck His yoke. [Matt 11:28-30] Submit to be led and taught by Him. Learn that unless you become as a little child, you can never enter the kingdom of heaven. {1SM 110.2}

give up own will and wisdom - Indeed when people, (whether Secularist, (e.g. Humanistic) Liberals or (e.g. Capitalistic) Conservative), will humbly learn of Christ and His (actual) way/ways, then they’ll be admitted into this Kingdom of God.

            People indeed have to humble themselves like little children, and so be willing to learn of Christ instead, in order to have an acceptable, Heaven-fit, character/disposition.

learn of Christ - The is the foundational lesson that Jesus teaches revolves around His Sacrifice on the Cross:

=“The cross teaches the lesson of self-sacrifice.” (RH, January 7, 1902 Art. A. par. 11ff; cf. 3T 382.1-3ff)

=“the law of self-sacrifice is the law of self-preservation.” (DA 623.4)

            "Abiding in Christ is choosing only the disposition of Christ, so that His interests are identified with yours. Abide in Him, to be and to do only what He wills. [John 15] These are the conditions of discipleship, and unless they are complied with, you can never find rest. Rest is in Christ; it cannot be as something apart from Him.  {1SM 110.3}

cannot find rest - As seen in this world, people will continue strive after the ‘life, liberty and peace/happiness’ that they so long for, but trying to do so apart from abiding in Christ’s Freeing/Liberating Way (John 8:32, 36; Rom 8:2; 6:16-20) e.g. in the American (=Babylonian) selfishness&sin-based way (Rev 18:2-3), will never provide that ultimate Sabbatical rest. (See Heb 4)

            "The moment His yoke is adjusted to your neck, that moment it is found easy; then the heaviest spiritual labor can be performed, the heaviest burdens borne, because the Lord gives the strength and the power, and He gives gladness in doing the work. Mark the points: 'Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart' (Matt 11:29). Who is it that speaks thus?--The Majesty of heaven, the King of glory. He desires that your conception of spiritual things shall be purified from the dross of selfishness, the defilement of a crooked, coarse, unsympathetic nature. You must have an inward, higher experience. You must obtain a growth in grace by abiding in Christ. When you are converted, you will not be a hindrance, but will strengthen your brethren." [Luke 22:31-32]  {1SM 110.4}

            As with the self-blind, self-confident Peter, such people need to be truly converted, i.e. born from the Heavenly Spirit above (John 3:3ff)

                       

            As these words were spoken, I saw that some turned sadly away and mingled with the scoffers. Others, with tears, all broken in heart, made confession to those whom they had bruised and wounded. They did not think of maintaining their own dignity, but asked at every step, "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). The answer was, "Repent, and be converted, that your sins may go beforehand to judgment, and be blotted out." [~Acts 3:19] Words were spoken which rebuked spiritual pride. This pride God will not tolerate. It is inconsistent with His Word and with our profession of faith. Seek the Lord, all ye who are ministers of His. “Seek Him while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isa. 55:[6-]7).  {1SM 111.1}

mingled with the scoffers - It actually is quite natural, and not surprising at all, that those people who, -(who, mind you, were desiring to enter into this Heavenly realm), would reject such a Biblical exhortation, would join those scoffing at it, because, as they clearly do not want to submit themselves to the ways of Christ, they show that what they had been after all along in their Christian stance, was for whatever benefitted them. So as they are being barred from the blessing of this Wedding Feast, they now have to make it seem like it is not worth anything after all.

"what must I do to be saved?" - Again, the Biblical context of this verbatim quoting of Acts 16:30 is the inquiry of a heathen who suddenly has been confronted with the truth that he was previously unaware of, and unwittingly warring against, but now allows himself to be cut to the heart, and repents. As with the parable of Luke 14:15-24|Matt 22:1-14, it indeed is people who had previously not been given this opportunity to partake of these heavenly matters who are those who enter in. While those who had been invited, and so who had a prior awareness, knowledge and understanding, and/or had been seeking to enter in their own self-righteousness, turn away.

                       

            As I presented these principles to the people in the Sabbath meeting, all seemed to feel that the Lord had spoken through the feeble instrument. We called upon those who wished to consecrate themselves to the Lord, and several responded. After these had borne their testimony, the rain came down in torrents. It seemed as if the windows of heaven were opened. I made this a symbol of what the Lord will do for his people in letting the latter rain of his rich blessing in truth and righteousness fall upon them. We devoted some time to singing "The Evergreen Shore," "Is My Name Written There?" "When the Mists Have Rolled Away," and similar songs. As soon as the storm abated, we had a season of prayer, and Elders Daniells and Robinson prayed in the Spirit, as I had never heard them pray before. The meeting then closed.  {RH, April 11, 1899 par. 13}

                                   

            The time has come when we must expect the Lord to do great things for us. Our efforts must not flag or weaken. We are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. Before the work is closed up and the sealing of God's people is finished, we shall receive the outpouring of the Spirit of God. Angels from heaven will be in our midst. The present is a fitting-up time for heaven when we must walk in full obedience to all the commands of God.--Letter 30, 1907.  {1SM 111.3}   

            Now in summary of this pivotal revelation about what it takes to be acceptable to, and admitted in, God’s Heavenly realm, starting with this Wedding Feast Banquet, all of the various key elements which were expounded upon here, were jointly expressed in a single statement of Christ. In Luke 24:49, He counseled:

“And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

            There the notion of ‘receiving the “promise Holy Spirit”’ is associated with “clothing/being clothed” (=righteousness) which has it real value, i.e. “power” from the fact that it is “from on high”. That Holy Spirit anointing will indeed be manifested the powerful righteousness/righteous acts of the saints’ (Rev 19:9). That is indeed what the Latter Rain-produced Loud Cry is all about. (Rev 18:1ff; cf. Hab 2:14)

14. Return from the Wedding Feast                                                           

            It is manifest that the following parable indeed is in Christ jigsaw puzzle of endtime prophecies, -which is puts together in a comprehensive framework in the last week’s teachings of His ministry, as the piece which links the Wedding Feast related parables to the ones about slaves awaiting for their nobleman master to return from a distant country journey. (Luke 19:12ff) As stated earlier, this journeying master is actually the man-king Father of the Bridegroom who organizes that Wedding Feast for his son. (Matt 22:2ff). This man-king master runs this “household of slaves” (Matt 24:45ff) which does “therapeutic Medical healing services” (Luke 12:42ff).

            This household of slaves is actually the “house with many rooms” that Jesus said His Father had (John 14:1-3). A “room” for every and any one willing to go there and work for God. But just like Heaven itself will not be the eternal/final home of the redeemed, but only the location of the New Jerusalem City when in Heaven, as the redeemed will be returning to this recreated and perfect Earth to again live here, -as God intended from the beginning (starting with Adam and Eve). So this household of slaves (=the NJK-HQ) is only a temporary, working “residency” for those who are willing to work in God’s Medical Missionary Healing Service. The actual permanent home of these workers is in the New Jerusalem Kingdom (=NJK-HC)

            Manifestly this nobleman master wanted to expand his household of slaves into the basis for such a broad Kingdom, and thought that he could find just the right (probably wealthy & talented) people he needed in the kind of people he knew were associates and friends of his bridegroom son. And so he thought to go to that wedding feast and meet with these people and interest them in joining his Kingdom Project....But of course, as Luke 14:15-24|Matt 22:1-14 shows, they all turned him and his son down, and even criminally/violently so. But eventually, and with much extra effort, they were able to gather together a group of potential subjects for this kingdom...however these had to be gathered from the “lower class” of people, many of them themselves being in various need.

            So this nobleman man-king master is now returning from that (finally) accomplished Wedding Feast Event, back to his household of slaves, who he expects to be both alert/awaiting and also working and always ready to work, and having increased the affairs which he had left in their authority to manage. (=Luke 19:11-27|Matt 25:14-30).

           

                                   

Luke 12:35-38

Luke 12:35 - "Let your loins be having been girded, and the lamps being lit/burning.

loins be having been girded - This is a reference to a very basic, nakedness covering up, dressing. (Cf. Rev 16:15; 3:2-4) For servants, it speaks to a disposition and readiness to get right to serious/demanding work, even battle. This is how ready the master expects to find his slaves when he returns, which Spiritually speaking is: ready to do Spiritual work and/or warfare.

the lamps being lit/burning - i.e. the lamps of the household. This is key to assist in the expected watchfulness and alertness of the awaiting household. No use being watchful if you cannot see what you are looking out for. A clever intruder would then be able to quietly sneak into the household.

            Spiritually, this burning lamp is representative of the word of God being enlightened by His Spirit. Only through this can any attack, especially sneak attacks, of the enemy be detected and thus prevented/protected against.

Luke 12:36 - "Be like men who are in waiting for their master for whenever he might return from the wedding feast, so that when he comes and knocks they may immediately open the door to him.

for whenever he might return - Though they are not sure just when their master will return, they remain alert and active and “do business while he is coming” (Luke 19:13)

            NJK Project Application - As Jesus said, the Kingdom of God is “within/inside” people (Luke 17:21; -i.e. who do its will) and wherever his will is actually done (Matt 6:10). So this household, which is the house of the Father of the Bridegroom can indeed be considered as a “heavenly realm” as God’s perfect, Full Gospel Will is being done in there, and also, missionally, from there.

            Applicationally, this Medical Missionary Household is the NJK-HQ. And the effort to get expanding subjects from Babylon in that Wedding Feast is the attempt to Spiritually restore the 10 Apostasied/Lost Northern Tribes of Israel. The Faithful Southern Kingdom, made up of the 2 tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and collective known as Judah, is the portion which was reserved as a portion for David and “the city of David”: Jerusalem on Mount Zion (1 Kgs 11:13, 32, 36; 12:20; 2 Sam 5:7, 9).

            Those successfully gathered from the Wedding Feast represent those sealed from the 10 Northern Tribes of Israel (=Rev 7:4-8). Those already residing, and working as Medical Missionaries in, the Father’s “heaven-like” household of slave, are those who are part of the faithful southern Kingdom, but really the smaller tribe of Benjamin. That Southern Kingdom is more predominantly known by its larger tribe of Judah, which is a highly blessed/privileged and spared to be a Remnant tribe. As such, it is the Laodicea group (=Adventists), which were, as the Ten Virgins, expected to have led the way in illuminating this planned Bridal Procession...but only some of them were found to be, like the household of slaves, “practically wise”, and thus actually ready.

            In the Midnight Cry event, God makes use of His “Fifth Army” in the bands of Militant Muslims, to execute His Babylon-punishing judgements (Rev 9:1-12), but following this accomplished work in the Wedding Feast’s gathering, He is ready to compose His “Sixth Army” (=Rev 9:16), who are to be clothed in “fine, white, bright and clean linen” (=Rev 19:14), which is from joining the people restored from those 10 Northern Tribes with those in those 2 Southern Tribes.. This is what is spoken of in the gradual ‘dry bones resurrection’ in Ezek 37:1-14, 15-23. And the Household of Slaves is set as the “Davidic” leadership/head of this restored Holy Israel of God Kingdom (=Ezek 37:24-28)

immediately open the door - Unlike Laodiceans who are not in spiritual/character harmony with their master, these “Philadelphian” slaves sealedly are (Rev 3:12). And so they do not hesitate at all in opening the door to him when he comes and knocks. (Rev 3:20). They indeed have overcome as Christ did, and that is why they are to be set as the topmost leaders then. (Rev 3:21)

Luke 12:37 - "Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find keeping watch when he comes; truly I say to you, since he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and go around and serve them.

gird...go around....serve them - This is all like what Jesus did during the Last Supper (John 13-17). He did so to serve as an enduring lesson of true leadership for His disciples (John 13:12-17; Luke 22:24-27). Similarly the returning master does so in order to rightly prepare those slaves for their upcoming Kingdom Leadership Service. He takes care of their physical and Spiritual needs and fits them for a leadership role, i.e. over the upcoming influx of predominantly needy people from the Wedding Feast who are about to join them towards the goal of establishing His grand Medical Missionary Service Kingdom. (cf. DS, January 24, 1846 par. 1)

            This is also like the Sabbatical principle of God. God asks His people to be faithful in keeping the Seventh Day Holy as a Day of Rest from physical/secular work (Exod 20:8-11) and for “doing good” (Matt 12:12) for people in need (Isa 58). When God’s People observed such Sabbatical requirements of God, He then, as He now was warranted to, supernaturally intervene to supply and complete for them what they could not naturally do for themselves (e.g. Exod 16:22-30; 23:10-11; Lev 25:1-7; 18-22). Manifestly, given the non-redundant limitedness of Divine Energy, God tests His people with various Sabbatical Tests to see who His truly faithful and trusting people are, and so only expend Divine Energy for such supernatural assistance and supply for them, and not for an unfaithful people.

            Likewise, God’s Prophetic Guidance, i.e. the “Spirit of Prophecy”, is only granted in full impartation to those who are faithful in adhering to His (Ten Commandment) Laws. (E.g. Pro 29:18; Lam 2:9; Ezek 7:26)

Luke 12:38 - "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

                                                                       

second watch - =9PM-Midnight. From what had been surmisingly claimed earlier at Luke 14:23, this 9PM-Midnight “second watch” can be seen as representative of the prophetic period when God will have begun, and go on to thoroughly execute, His work of judgement on those who have been rejecting the Invitation to His Son’s Wedding Feast.

third watch - =Midnight-3AM. Also from what has been claimed earlier, this post-Midnight “third watch” can be seen as the period after the Midnight Cry has been sounded.

            So even if the master was to return (as a thief) in the midst of these wider/world “times of trouble”, his slaves are to be ready to receive him, especially as he will then care for, and shelter, them (=Mar 270.3-5)

           

                       

15. The Parable of the Talents

            The SOP makes a somewhat substantively offbeat, i.e. seemingly theologically inaccurate introductory statement about the Parable of the Talents which comes to confirm what has been observed and stated about it in this blog post thus far. It is stated in 16MR 271.4 that:

“The parable of the talents is given to represent the kingdom of heaven, and to show the necessity of an accurate use of the endowments that God has entrusted to us. It is of the highest importance that we understand these parables and know wherein they have any bearing upon us individually.”

            Does this parable take place in “heaven”???....Or does it represent what the redeemed will be doing in heaven??!!!...Yes and No...”Yes” the parable is representative of how heaven works. As stated in DA 19.2-21.3ff, the founding operating principle of God’s Universe is that He has endowed each of His created beings, Angels and Human, with a specific, quasi-unique, talent, and then He expects that each will do their utmost best to develop that talent and share it with the rest of His Creation. = “the law of self-renouncing love” = “The Law of Life” (=(Biblical) Socialism). Of course Satan tried to pervert all of this with His selfishness, self-seeking & pride approach. (=Capitalism). So wherever in this world God’s “Law of Life” is being implemented and practiced is a “corner of Heaven on Earth”. As Christ’s desire in Matt 6:10 strives for: ‘God’s will is being done in Earth as it is in Heaven.’...Extend this Godly practice collectively into an (Apostolic Remnant) Church (=Acts 2:43-45; 4:32-35) and/or a Realm/Kingdom which has espoused it as its founding/aspirational/operating principle, and then you most tangibly have an effected “Kingdom of Heaven”...on Earth. The Kingdom of Heaven can, and indeed is, be found wherever God’s Will is being done by a faithful people of His, and even while in this present Age, on this Earth. As Jesus indicated in Luke 17:20-21, (cf. Luke 11:20), the people of God have this capability “within them’ to thus effectuate the present establishment of the kingdom of God/Heaven.

            So, to succinctly (re-)state the/this (already presented) thesis-conclusion here in the introduction, -(and this will be detailed, substantiated and expounded upon in the commenting below): this ‘perfect kingdom of heaven representation’, where God’s People are wholly and whole-heartedly investing and fully developing the various talents, -“whether original or acquired, natural or spiritual” (COL 328.2), that God has gifted and endowed them with, is the NJK-HQ....As manifested in my own experience, that is indeed what sequiturly, naturally institutionally/ministry-ly results from: ‘hearing the words of Christ [e.g. Matt 25:45-46] and does/acts on (all of) them’ (Matt 7:24-27 = 16MR 274.1b).

            A great foundational background to have about what is involved with these talents in this parable is from the eloquent commenting about this in the SOP in Christ’s Object Lessons pp.325-365 (cf. CS 111.1-129.4) where the “talents” of: the Gift of the Holy Spirit; Mental Faculties; Speech; Influence; Time; Health; Strength; Money; Kindly Impulses & Affections are discussed in detail. (More pertinent SOP Passages/Studies on this Parable are listed here).

Luke 19:11-27 ~ Matthew 25:14-30

Luke 19:11 - While they were hearing of these things, Jesus proceeded to add a parable on account that He was going to near Jerusalem, and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.                                                                          

While they were hearing of these things - What they were “hearing of” was the conversation between Jesus and Zaccheus while Jesus was staying (=“lodging” -Luke 19:7 margin) at Zaccheus’ house (Luke 19:1-7ff). Evidently just as Jesus was beginning to go along with Zaccheus towards his house, people in the crowd began to grumble and say that Jesus was going to the house of a sinner. But as the present tense verbs in the Greek of Luke 19:8 indicate, and as the SOP, (manifestly from direct prophetic revelation) confirms (see DA 553.1, 555.4), by then, i.e. some time before the (deliberately pre-announced[17]¹⁷) news of Jesus’s coming to Jericho had arose, Zaccheus, a tax collector/publican by occupation, had had a repenting of his past defrauding and greed ways, and was already engaging in ‘giving half of his wealth to the poor’ and ‘giving back 4 times as much to anyone who he defrauded’. (Luke 19:8). The earlier messages of the nearby preaching John the Baptist in regards to such fraudulent ways (see Luke 3:10-13) had finally wrought this repenting conviction to Zaccheus in the light of enjoined teachings and ministry of John’s successor Jesus Christ, and he was now being faithful in living up to these requirements in regards to ‘being “up to 50%” (=Socialism, ~Communism) benevolent with one’s wealth’ and not acquiring wealth by excessive/profiteering/extortive/fraudulent/oppressive means (=contra. Capitalism).

            So that new, Biblical, way of living of Zaccheus manifestly is what created this thrilling affinity with Jesus and why he so desired to just see him as he passed by. God’s Spirit revealed this unspoken longing desire to Jesus, and Jesus sought to honor the desire of this honest and repentful heart.

            It is interesting to note that Zaccheus, “standing still/stopping”, made his “apologetic” defense/announcement that: ‘he is giving half his wealth to the poor and is giving back 4 times to those who he had cheated’ right there, in public, in the street, right upon those accusations that he was a sinner being uttered. And so also, Jesus’ approving response was also made right then in the public hearing of all (Luke 19:9), clearly as an object-lesson/teaching moment/admonishing exhortation to these others.

            And what did Jesus say: ‘Since today salvation/deliverance is come to your house, and because (i.e. according to the fact that) he is a son of Abraham’ (Luke 19:9) Was Jesus here publicly claiming, before these grumbling people and also opposing Jewish leaders, that the sons of Abraham are naturally/automatically saved....That would of course categorically go against what He had been saying, e.g. in John 8:31-47ff. Jesus was actually saying, and in full accordance with His teaching on this matter, that Zaccheus was “truly/actually” a son of Abraham because he was doing the deeds of Abraham (John 8:39)...I.e.: Being rich/blessed, and recently now heeding the Messianic reforms of John the Baptist, and now Christ (cf. John 8:47), Zaccheus had, -resolutely acting, like Founder Abraham, in full faith (Gal 3:7, James 2:20-24; cf. John 1:47) of what God had said (e.g. Lev 25:35-37, 17), -as echoed in the teachings of the prophets John the Baptist, and now Jesus, been actively/tangibly working in also “being a blessing” towards those in need, -just as per that “constitutionally” (=covenant) founding principle/promise to that nation from Abraham. (=Gen 12:2). So Jesus was considering only those who lived, as He Himself did in His Medical Missionary Ministry, according to this Messianic Mandate which fully realized the Promise made to Abraham, to be the actual son of Abraham. (Cf. Rev 21:7-8).

            It is important to highlight that commonly/defaultly, when such wealth-sharing living is discussed, people will basely assume and claim that this is calling rich people to be poor. I.e. give away 90% of their wealth/income and live on just 10%...But there is no such requirement in the Bible, i.e. according to these ratios. God instead calls for people to “love others as themselves” (Matt 22:39) = 50%-50% ratio. So if someone has been blessed with $10 Billion of wealth/increase/income, God only calls for them to give $5 Billion to the poor and needy and they actually can (wealthily) live off of the remaining $5 Billion if they so choose. (Rom 13:8-10; Gal 5:13-14; cf. CS 138.2-139.2; Acts 5:4...and if they do not have a sinful/moral issue with riches in terms of idolatry and covetousness, as the rich young ruler had (Luke 18:22-27; see 1T 170.4-178.1)).

            This ‘loving one’s neighbor as oneself’ which is this Godly 50% giving to ‘people who are poor and in need’ (Luke 3:11; 10:27, 29, 36-37) is self-sacrificial giving. (=(Biblical) Socialism)

                                               

proceeded to add - So it was in both this thematic context, and also situational location, i.e. amongst this public crowd (i.e. not yet having gone to Zaccheus’ house), that Jesus proceeded to add the ensuing parable....It relatedly focused on what God was expecting for His True People, His True “sons” of Abraham to be doing with the Spiritual and Material Blessings/Talents that He had entrusted to them.

            This teaching was so important that Jesus would repeat it a few days later, then in private session, to His Disciples, shortly after He had made His deliberately anti-climatic Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. (=Matt 25:14-30)

thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately - So this parable speaks of what is to be done during the delay for the Glorious appearing of God’s Kingdom.

           

            NJK Application - In nowadays, this is applicable instruction for the present delay, showing what kind of work is to be done in this post-Midnight Cry’s prolonged time’s permitted Jubilee Millennium Era.

Matthew 25:14a - "For it is just like a man going away on a journey,

Luke 19:12 - So He said, "A certain nobleman proceed to go to a distant country in order to receive a kingdom for himself, and in order to return.

a certain nobleman - As per the grammar here, this is an “indefinite” nobleman, but it “certainly” is a nobleman.

                                                           

            As per the fitting together of all of these puzzle pieces in these inspired parabolic pronouncement of Jesus, this “nobleman” is the same one who ‘returns from the wedding feast’ (Luke 12:36) of Matt 22:1-14|Luke 14:15-24. He is therefore the man-king/ruling lord who organizes that wedding feast for his son (Matt 22:2) and runs the “household of slaves for Medical Missionary Services” of (Matt 24:45ff|Luke 12:42). Through the prospective invitees of his son to this Wedding, initially the privileged ones, this nobleman/king is expecting to recruit (during the feast), subjects for this planned kingdom. This “king” character here is ultimately representative of God the Father, but as He is closely working with/through His Son, Jesus Christ, on this mission, the two roles can be easily interchanged. (cf. John 10:30; 5:17-23; 17:22)

a distant country - Locally, this indicates that the father of the son lived far away from where the Wedding Feast was to be held. Cosmically, on the one hand, this distance is representative of the chasm distance between Heaven and Earth, to where God the Father had sent His Son (John 3:16), but the reverse direction is also applicable here. Ecclesiatically, Jesus left Earth to go to Heaven, leaving His Full Gospel Work on Earth in the hands of his “bond-servants/slaves”, his Disciples/Apostles (=Mark 16:15-18, 19-20) and going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house and then return. (John 14:1-3)

            But, Prophetically/Eschatologically, indeed yet another valid, and advancing, application of this far reaching parable, in Dan 7:9-14, we see “one like unto a son of man” going to the Father to a heavenly court session in order to receive a kingdom. The Temporal & Spiritual damages (e.g. Dan 7:25; 8:9-12; 12:7) done by the AntiChrist: First & Second (Mark of the) Beast Powers to the corporate Church of Christ and to its individuals members therein have to be ended, sorted out and recovered from. (=Dan 7:10 | Dan 7:11-12, 21, 8:13-14 | Dan 7:13-14, 26-27; =Dan 2:34-35; 44-45)

in order to receive a kingdom for himself -  In all of these attempts, God the Father is seeking to have (re-)established) His Temporal Israel Kingdom on this Earth. And as seen in Matt 22:1-14, He endeavors to do this through an exacting judicious process where those who prove themselves not worthy to be subjects of this kingdom are removed.

and in order to return - The use of an infinitive here rather than a conjugated verb strongly suggests that this returning process is merely an intention or result that is dependent on first the completion of the “receiving of a kingdom” effort. It’s all or nothing, -all for the benefit of fallen humanity. God needs to see that His Temporal Zion is restored “as a witness” (Matt 24:14), and as seen in Matt 22:8-9 & Luke 14:21-23 these joint organizers of this Wedding Feast are intent on, at the very least, gathering a group of (potential Kingdom subject recruits) invitees...even if they have to scrape up the “bottom of the barrel” in regards to Spiritual Classes.

Matthew 25:14b - who called his own slaves and handed over his (existing) possessions to them.

Luke 19:13a - "And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas

handed over - The Greek word that is used here paradidomi [#3860] is one which pointedly speaking of a (typically, in regards to Christ’s followers: unwarranted) law enforcement “delivering, taking into custody, arresting) = “betraying”. It very rarely has this sense of “en-trust-ing” (e.g. 1 Pet 2:23; Acts 15:40). But the notion that is involved even then is a total abandoning, actually not by any viable choice, of oneself and/or one’s authority/power/freedom unto another to let them do whatever they want to do with the person or the things handed over to them. (cf. Mark 10:33). The (forced) giver/givee has to “trust” that those who are receiving things here will do the best with them, just as they themselves would.

            So here, this nobleman is forced to turn over his affairs/household to the total control of his slaves. It will be left up to the total whim, judgement and choices of these slaves. Hopefully they will do things just as he himself would, but that is not guaranteed. So this entire entrusting is at great “risk” (cf. Acts 15:26), i.e. of non-productivity or deficit failure.

            Likewise, Jesus “betrayed” his kingdom plans/project/work by, upon his necessary departure and ascension to Heaven, -(to allow for the ‘more advantageous’ omnipresent Holy Spirit to take over (John 16:7 [18]¹⁸)), effectively leaving the timely advance and soon success of His Kingdom into the hands of the, still not yet Spiritual mature and ready, disciples. It was a great risk indeed.

ten slaves given ten minas - This version of facts in this (few days earlier) Luke 19:11-27 rendition of this parable seems to be limiting the risk, and thus potential damage, by this nobleman, as ‘only 10 minas are given to, also (presumably partly) only 10 of his slaves’ It is logical to assume that this nobleman likely has more than just 10 slaves; and definitely has much more than 10 minas as his wealth. So it is manifest that in that earlier shared version of this parable, Jesus indeed had involved the limiting of risk from this nobleman. Unlike for the version in Matt 25:14-30, the owner does not “risk” his entire wealth/estate into the hands/control of his slaves.

            It however can be argued from a symbolizing sense that the patent use/mention of “10” is also to speak of a “complete representation”. So also in Luke 19:11-27's version, it was all of the nobleman’s wealth that was being, (effectively) ‘wholly “entrusted”’ to also all of his slaves.

            These understandings may be seen to all come together from the settings fact that, as seen earlier, when Jesus spoke the parable of Luke 19:11-27 He was publicly speaking, in the streets of Jericho, to the people, including Jewish leaders, who, moreover, were against Him for being on His way to go and abide/lodge with the hated Publican Zaccheus. So if, as it seems, Jesus did want to connote from this parable, that He would indeed be ‘riskily’ ‘entrusting’ all of His Kingdom project/plans/work over to His still unprepared disciples, he manifestly was choosing to so state so here in merely veiled/concealed, thus symbolic, expressions. So that even if these quasi-enemy people were seeing and hearing this (pivotal) key of the kingdom, they would not understand unless/until they would sincerely seek to know the truth. (=Matt 13:10-16)

            However when Jesus later retreated in private to the Mount of Olives with only His Disciples, he restated this parable (Matt 25:14-30), this time not using these veiling terms (cf. DA 524.3), -(probably in order to, as typical (cf. Matt 13:36), clearly explain it and thus stress its inherent weighty/pivotal responsibility, to his disciples), and clearly implying that all of the nobleman’s wealth/estate would be entrusted into the hands of, moreover all, -(i.e. not just the leading 12) disciples/apostles. So both factual elements here mean/involve the exact same thing, but one was strategically given in concealing symbolic terms.

Luke 19:13b - and said to them, 'Do pragmatic deeds in this, my coming’s time.'

Do pragmatic deeds - It would seem fitting, pointedly given the present context, to have translated the Greek term here pragmateuomai [#4231] as: “do business”, but the KJV rendering of “occupy” is more on the more accurate track. First of all, that Greek term literally means: ‘to busy onself with (the/one’s) work/matter (at hand)’.

            The Greek term originally comes from the term pragma [#4229] which means [actually more than merely/vacuously/tritely: a “thing”], but rather: ‘a formal/tangible: matter (Matt 18:19; Rom 16:2; 1 Thess 4:6); deed(s) (Acts 5:4; Luke 1:1; Jam 3:16); (judicial/judicious) case (1 Cor 6:1; 2 Cor 7:11); (binding) acts (Heb 6:18 =God’s Promise and His Oath (Heb 6:13-17)); material/existing things (Heb 10:1; 11:1)’.

            And even more anteriorly, pragma [#4229] comes from the verb prasso [#4238] which basically means “to do, practice”. So the understanding of a “practice” and/as one’s “occupation” can be seen as the accurate one here. Pointedly, the “pragmatic”, i..e tangible and not theoretical, work that is be done here all depends on what is the occupation context. E.g. In Dan 8:27 LXX Daniel’s “pragmateuomai” was: ‘the king’s governing affairs’ and not financial/commercial “business”. So then what “practice/occupation” was this nobleman running here. Was it merely a financial investment business, or something else.

            From the fact that the nobleman gave money/currency to his slaves and told them to “occupy” with them, it would seem that he was merely engaged in an investment type of operation. However from the statement later in the related Matt 25:16, the slaves actually understood that they were to ‘“do work” {=ergazomai [#2038b] = ergon [#2041]} with/in them’. Meaning that the funds given allowed him to do his actual work. And from that accomplished work, he was able to double that “seed money”. ‘Similarly’ for the one who had gotten 2 talents (Matt 25:17).

            Then add the wider context that this (departing-to-the-Kingdom-Wedding-Feast) nobleman’s enterprise is the “household of slaves doing therapeutic medical services” of Matt 24:45&Luke 12:42, and it can be validly claimed that the nobleman had merely given funding to his slaves in order to carry out their real/actual “occupation/buisness” which tangibly/pragmatically was to do Medical Services. Manifestly this was being done in a profitable manner, in order to keep it going. And by ending up doubling their investment, they then were able to expand their work, i.e. so as to also be able to provide care in purely charitable instances. They probably were taking money for their services from their patients who could afford to pay for them, and at a profit, but were rendering non-profiting, or even free services to those who could not afford to fully, or at all pay. So their business plan would be involving charging “market” prices to the wealthy in order to, through the involved profit margin, afford services to the poor and needy.

            Wouldn’t it be something commendable if the (Global) SDA Health System, which provides 64% of its (inpatient+outpatient) Health Services (see from pages 78-82 in their 2017 Annual Statistical Report) in the wealthy United States, was systematically operating in this way. Then/Thus the majority (e.g. that 70%) of their rendered services would instead be in the rest of the world, rather than in the U.S. Just going by the fact that the SDA Church has no Hospital Facility in Canada, but a plethora in the United States, is clearly because there is no profit opportunity in Canada which has a National, Government-run, Health Insurance/Care System.

            God does give His People the “power to make/gain wealth” (Deut 8:18)...but He expects that they will then shrewdly (Mat 10:16 =“practically wise” as the passing 5 Virgins (Matt 25:2, 4, 8, 9) and these nobleman’s slaves (Luke 12:42)) be manipulating this “mammon” (Luke 16:1-9) to advance their own Gospel agenda. He certainly does not intend for them to become idolatrously enslaved to this mammon, and neglect to do His actual work (=Luke 16:10-13) -See 1T 536.1-542.1. SDAs have indeed, and long so, failed the “Rev 13 Mark of the Beast Test” that God granted them by them ‘having made merchandise of their Medical Missionary mandate & God-guided/given resources’ (=MM 131.2, 6). I.e.: It is telling to see how SDAs do not think/consider that their (professional) Medical/Hospital System to be part of Medical Missionary Work. E.g.: They could easily be handing out “Paid-off Health Care Services Vouchers” to people in need of Hospital Care where people would just go to one of their hundreds of Hospitals to get the medical service they need....But for “some” reason, they do not....

            Such “philanthro-capitalist” ways are not illegal in the world, and they should also not, as discussed here, -as temptingly possible, become the highest ideal of God’s people. For as long as there are people in need, God’s People are to be wisely planning and acting to overcome any obstacle, which in Capitalism are typically whimsically artificial, in order to do/provide their assigned tangible/material pragmatic Full Gospel work. God’s people cannot be limited, -and in either direction, nor control by, Capitalistic “market” prices.

“The idea of stewardship should have a practical bearing upon all the people of God. The parable of the talents, rightly understood, will bar out covetousness [cf. EW 266-269], which God calls idolatry [=Eph 5:5; cf. 16MR 34.3]. Practical benevolence will give spiritual life to thousands of nominal professors of the truth who now mourn over their darkness. It will transform them from selfish, covetous worshipers of mammon to earnest, faithful co-workers with Christ in the salvation of sinners.” {3T 387.2}

            Furthermore when God’s People step out in faith to accomplish His Will, God will not fail them, and will act to make and keep them as the head. And so, even in a scenario where SDA Hospitals would be “philanthropically” surcharging for their Health Services in order to provide cheaper or free care for the needy, you would actually find rich/capable people who would be fine with so participating in this charitable endeavor. But you would also see, as seen from the far-advanced Medical knowledge and solutions given through the Spirit of Prophecy, that God would have continued to provide leading medical knowledge to His People, and/or supernaturally bless their provided medical services/treatments, which would thus result in the financial income never running out or low while His People are faith-fully engaged in helping even “the least of these” (Matt 25:45). Like the post-Red Sea-parting, Crossing of the Jordan, God’s People will never know/experience such miraculous intervention and assistance unless they ‘remember what God has done for them in the past’ (CET 204.1) and in faith from this now step forward to obey/do His mandate.

           

“It is the faithfulness with which the endowment has been used that wins the Lord's commendation. If we desire to be acknowledged as good and faithful servants, we must do thorough, consecrated work for the Master. He will reward diligent, honest service. If men will put their trust in Him, if they will recognize His compassion and benevolence, and will walk humbly before Him, He will cooperate with them. He will increase their talents.” {CS 116.3}

            As seen in the principal passage, parallel reference and several other links cited in the above introduction to this parable, the SOP has much to clearly say about, and in relation to, this Parable of the Talents. These Biblical expoundings are indeed so clear that it is unnecessary to repeat or restate them. If someone is still not convinced about what this pivotal parable means in terms of what God/Jesus expects of His True Followers to be doing, then do take the time to read these Counsels. However a thetically controlling indication from SOP will be restated here as it indeed sets the controlling theme and tone about the prophetic implication of this Parable:

            The (famous to some) SOP statement in regards to “Practical Benevolence” and how the Seal of God and Final Decision turn/depend on them being done (LDE 218.3ff), is seen in its fuller/original context of TM 399.1-2 to be in relation to this Parable of the Talents, and pertinently also, in the relation to the Latter Rain, and truly understanding it. Then also, this is elsewhere all explicitly associated with the “rewarded” work of Matt 25:31-46 (OHC 190.4; RH, July 11, 1899 Art. A par. 12; cf. CS 129.1-3).

            So from such indications, which can also been seen and arrived at from the indications in the Bible, it can be succinctly concluded, as long stated in this Blog, that: those who Truly understand the Latter Rain, will be engaged in the work of doing Practical Benevolence, even as systematically and constructively as involved in the Parable of the Talents as that is the “diligent” “pragmatic work” that Jesus will be rewarding in the final Judgement,  i.e. the work done towards those in need....Case Closed!!

in this, my coming’s time.' - The Greek here literalistically/woodenly says: “In - the - I come”. So this can indeed be understood and (respectively) rendered as: ‘In - this -my coming’s = time’. So during the time of this nobleman’s coming/return, which really is his entire time will away, but is, -(just like Christ’s Return/Second Coming), sure to come back, his slaves were to occupy themselves with doing their appointed work. There is not scheduled/permitted/sanctioned down or off time. As the SOP states: “The time is to be spent, not in idle waiting, but in diligent working.” (COL 325.1).

            Furthermore, as the SOP also points out in that passage, that “time” is the “watching/alert” time that Jesus had just concludingly cited in Matt 25:13. And it therefore does reference the “watchfulness/alertness” warnings and instructions given in the already, above-discussed passages of: Matt 24:43-44; Luke 12:35-36, 39-40; cf. Rev 16:15) = Matt 24:45-47|Luke 12:42-44. So the Parable of the Talents in indeed a more detailing expansion of the Parable of the Two Types of Slaves which in turn had been expanding on the watchfulness mini-parables just preceding it. So Jesus is evidently very concerned about His Followers being and staying duly and properly “occupied” in doing His Full Gospel Commission/Mandate until He returns.

Matthew 25:15 - "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own cap-ability/power; and he immediately went on his journey.

5 + 2 +1 - This totals 8 talents given to 3 slaves. So this clearly is a different total and allocation than the 10 minas (equally) given to 10 slaves (=1 each) of the other, =public, version of this parable in Luke 19:13a.

            Also it is said that a mina is 3 months worth of salary. And it is 1/60th of the value of a talent. So a talent itself is worth 180 months (15 years) of salary. So this involves that the slaves in the (private) Matt 25:14-30 version had been given much more money to work with, and for potentially a longer expected absence time. At the very least, this either showed that the master entrusted his slave with much of his operation’s funding, or more likely, that this was quite a lucrative service and the nobleman was very wealthy.

each according to his own cap-ability/power - This type of (socialistic) allocation is not used/mentioned in the Luke 19:13a version. Again the reason seems to be a protective one by Christ. As the Luke 19:13 version of this parable is for a public relating, perhaps Jesus wanted to conceal the fact from this, then mainly hostile, crowd that His disciples were not all of/on the same level of capability. Some were more “talented” than others. So in that version, Jesus only made it seem that each had been entrusted with the same amount of funding. However later, in the private version, Jesus openly indicated to His disciples that He would be considering their natural abilities/skills when assigning them their Kingdom Work....and yet, as seen later, He would be expecting the equivalent level of productivity from them when He takes account of what they had done.

            Also, with the total amount of money entrusted over being much smaller in the publicly related parable, this was probably Christ’s effort to not disclose to this hostile crowd that his return would take a long time. I.e. 3 months vs. 15 years. But to His disciples, the symbolism here suggested/implied, at least potentially so, that a prolonged delay could/should be expected.

talents vs. “cap-ability” - It is often assumed that the “talents” being given here are the same as one’s natural “talents”, but really there is a distinction as here Jesus shows that the given talents were proportionally depending upon the capability that each slave had. So the (given) “talents” can be more accurately understood as the various tasks that God gives to us to do based upon what (natural) “talents” (=cap-ability/power) that one has.

            Also, I previously would presume that God dedicated actually gave natural talents to people, e.g. to sign, to speak, intelligence, etc, but now, as with births/native-health, I rather see it that God has left this ‘talenting’ to literally the natural “luck” of nature....But then God can and does give someone a calling (=those (given) talents) to use those natural talents do something in/for His Will. Just seeing how several Biblical people, from: Moses (Exod 4:10-17) to (King) Saul (1 Sam 9:21; 10:22) to Jeremiah (Jer 1:6-8) to Peter (John 21:15-17) to Paul (2 Cor 12:7-10) to Ellen White (3SM 89.4-90.2), all realized/recognized and argued that they were lacking certain natural skills, abilities, character/Spiritual traits, etc to properly do what God was calling/asking them to do, and at times it required that God do a supernatural sustaining intervention to supply that natural lack, does show that God-given and natural talents are two distinct things.

            So like an Investor who sees a great idea by an inventor and decides to invest in it to bring it to full fruition and productivity, God likewise invests “talents” in people who he sees want to dedicate their natural abilities/power/talents to His Cause.

            NJK Application - So at this point in the parable, the “table is set” so to speak. The master has assigned his slaves of his Healing Service the funding to continue their Medical Missionary Work. Applicationally, this is the work that is to be done in NJK-HQ phase/institution of the NJK Project. While this is the Second Phase of this NJK unrolling, and the NJK-CC is the First Phase, and is the Wedding Feast Event, the NJK-CC still continues to operate, as an Evangelistic (=Recruitment) Center to try to gather and prepare in Righteousness new people to join the NJK-HQ and participate in its work/mission. So this nobleman going off to the Wedding Feast can also be seen as the recurring work of gathering together a group of new recruits to add to those who have already gone through this process and joined the NJK-HQ.

            Just like world armies continually recruit, the NJK, for its “Sixth Army” (=Rev 9:16), will similarly be needing to continually recruit new/added personnel. In fact, technically speaking, if the Wedding Feast Hall can hold a few hundred of people at a time, let’s say 144...well there are 144,000 (leadership) positions to have filled in the NJK-HQ (=Rev 7:4-8) and even more for the NJK-HC (=Rev 7:9ff). As no one who joins the NJK will be forced to remain there if they no longer want to be/work there, then it is expected that there will come to be ensuing vacancies which will need to be filled by other people. So the work of the recruiting NJK-CC (=Wedding Feast) will indeed continue to go on even after and while the NJK-HQ has been established, initially staff and is operating.

            So this Secondary/“Second Phase” Parable of the Talents, thematically and chronologically following after the one(s) about the Wedding Feast, is actually a recurring one. So while this leaving of the nobleman to go to that Wedding Feast is literalistically of the first journey there, it is emblematic/representative of the subsequent added endeavors to further staff and/or replenish the ranks for the (Sixth Era) NJK-HQ and also the (Seventh+ Era) NJK-HC. Really the NJK-HQ can be seen as a needed educational/training/preparatory/formative step for being truly ready to join the NJK-HC where righteousness will indeed dwell (2 Pet 3:12 =Rev 7:9-17's|EW 182-19.1's ‘temple ministration & work’ versus the later heavenly phase of Rev 21:22 where/when the: ‘there is no (more) temple’). In other words, whereas the NJK-HQ will be allowing for anyone who desires to do Practical Righteousness/Right-doing to join and work (but not reside) there, to reside and remain in the NJK-HC, every joining one will have to want/agree to also be fully Spiritually Righteous.

Luke 19:14 - "But his citizens were hating him and sent an (ambassadorial) delegation after him, which is saying, 'We do not want this (one) to reign over us.'

his citizens - This suggests and implies that these people are already subjects of the kingdom, or at least have expressed an intention to join. As stated in the ending comment for the verse above, this journeying of the nobleman is not merely representative of his first attempt to go to that wedding feast and gather recruits for his kingdom. It is representative of every further needed recruitment attempt.

            In fact, it can be more specifically understood that the nobleman here is “making the rounds” of his already established and globally deployed Mission Campuses of his NJK-HQ operation in order to try to gather subjects for his planned, Third Phase, NJK-HC work.

            Generally Stated, this existing overlapping repetition between the seemingly supposed-to-merely-be consecutive NJK-CC - NJK-HQ - NJK-HC phases is all like the prophetic template that we find in the Bible’s Major Prophetic Works. In the book of Daniel we have Dan 2 {see here} - Dan 7 - Dan 8-9 {here & here} repeatingly all covering the same sweep of Prophetic Era but each with an elaboratio of the former, and that in viewing the same era from a Spiritually different thematic angle....And then in Dan 11 we have the, -as seen in this post: actually Apocalyptic/Eschatological, Finale, (which surfacely seems to follow a histori-cism template), for these earlier prophetic set up steps.

            The same template is followed for Revelation. The major series sweeps [see here+here] of the: 7 Churches (Rev 2&3) - 7 Seals (Rev 6) - 7 Trumpets (Rev 8-9; 11:15-18) also all cover the same Historical Era but from differing Spiritual Themes. Then we also see the Apocalyptic Finale in the 7 Plagues (Rev 16) which is likewise patterned upon a seemingly historic template but is actually intended for an Eschatological fulfillment.

            Succinctly said, a similar template & sequence case can be made for Ezekiel, namely: Ezek 1 {see here} - Ezek 8-9 {here+here}- Ezek 10-11 {here} = Ezek 40-43ff.

            The “Finale” phase/series for the NJK-CC - NJK-HQ - NJK-HC phases actually is the NJK-HC era itself, which similarly seems to be part of the preceding phases, but really is the culmination of the prior steps, and with, as depicted in the major charting of these prophetic parables, the Laodicea (II) = “a righteous people” = the “Church Triumphant” which is, in the FSZC, the successful two-fold, -i.e. Religious (Spiritual) and Humanitarian (Temporal) (=Matt 22:34-40), perfect, dominating, global unrolling of God’s Two Witnesses throughout the Earth.

            So the corresponding template & sequence, -which is just like that which the Heavenly Intelligence used in Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelation, for/from, as being done in the present blog post, the interpreting of Christ’s prophetic parables, can be seen to be: NJK-CC - NJK-HQ - FSZC = NJK-HC.

were hating him - Evidently this has been an ongoing resentment. They did not suddenly begin to hate him, these people were hating him all along.

            Don’t know why they would then continue to remain in his NJK-HQ operation...Perhaps just to enjoy the amenities of the enterprise, but not wishing to partake of its (Spiritual) Spirit.

and sent an (ambassadorial) delegation after him - So as the nobleman was making the rounds of his NJK-HQ operation to gather subjects for his NJK-HC kingdom, these people who were opposing him sent a delegation after him. This is a formal representation of/from them, but it can easily extend to a formal ambassadorial delegation...even from another country/kingdom.

which is saying, 'We do not want this (one) to reign over us.' - Evidently they were not against the kingdom itself, or at least its physical/material benefits, but were against its ruling element.  It can be validly claimed that what these people are, at least by extension, also opposing here, is this attempt to set up the superceding NJK-HC rule which is to be inauguratingly headed as a monarch by this nobleman. So they were opposing this New Christian Kingdom idea...Probably as they were now beginning to see where all of this NJK-## endeavoring was, indeed, objectingly, naturally, heading to (=Rev 11:15-18).

            NJK Application - The Spirit of Prophecy has repeatedly foreseen this pointed quasi-internal oppositional campaign. In the Bible, it of course is right here in this parabolic depiction of Jesus, with the Jewish Leaders (Matt 27:1-2) and the Jewish People (Matt 27:22-26) (=Church) initiatingly becoming in lockstep with the “Babylon” State: Rome (cf. 1 Pet 5:13) to put Him to death. Then in the SOP, this was shown to EGW in a “Catholic Procession”, at first seemingly friendly, but now “stern and determined” and trying to confiscate her household’s goods (See 1T 577.2-578.1). Then, as I relate here, as similar internal oppositional marshaling/warring was shown to take place in an institution which represented the NJK-HQ. And this conflict culminated in a (winning) showdown against a panoply of a formal U.S. Military contingent. In fact, from this depictive specification here in Luke 19:14, I now, i.e. on Jan. 1, 2018, finally comprehensively get what I had seen in that vision back on July 27, 2014 as it indeed confirms what I had not been able to fully understand then, as it is shown here that this is a development that occurs during the, globally-spread, NJK-HQ phase but just before the NJK-HC’s full implementation.

            So that Religio-Militaristic Opposition in those SOP depictions is this “(ambassadorial) delegation” which is dispatched against this nobleman at this NJK-HQ stage of his NJK Project operation in order to prevent the effectuation of the Third, NJK-CC, Phase. The current World’s Hegemonic Super Power, the United States, that prophesied-to-do-just-so “Second Beast” (Rev 13:11-18), will be “diplomatically” summoned, i.e. through the formal action of the U.N. General Assembly and/or its Security Council in order to stop in its bud, this endeavor which they perceive will overturn the current Ordering of the World. (=Rev 17:12-14).

Matthew 25:16 - "Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.

Matthew 25:17 - "In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.

Five|two talents = five|two more = These faithful workers go out and not only deal shrewdly (with the wealth/means of mammon) to obtain an increase/profit, they even double their initial funding (=Dan 11:36ff)

            NJK Project Application - In the pre-planning of the NJK-HQ it was seen that a topmost position of “President” (see leadership organizational charting) was to be added above the previous topmost (4) positions of Chief-of-Staff Chairpeople. That new position of President came to take the place/duties that would have been done by the NJK Monarch, but this President is now still to answer to, and faithfully execute the mandate of, the NJK Monarch. That positional addition was made for a simple, practical reason, that the NJK Monarch has other, and greater, things to do, such as: ‘mandatedly, specially overseeing’ the NJK-HQ’s cornerstoning WBSC Institution and, mainly, establishing and governing the NJK-HC.

            So, as in this parable, this kingly figure is busying himself with trying to obtain/secure and establish that Kingdom, and so does leave the work of his “Household of Medical Healing Services”, i.e. the NJK-HQ, to the operational control of his slaves, even, as in the related Matt 24:45-47|Luke 12:42-44 parable -(discussed earlier), putting ‘a faithful’ one, (even some), in charge of it all. (=the: NJK-HQ President, and Chief-of-Staff Chairpeople, etc).

Matthew 25:18 - "But the one receiving one talent was going away to dig a hole in the ground and hid his lord’s money.

receiving one ... going away to dig a hole - The use of (2) participles in the Greek here rather connote that these are inherent qualities/actions here. Namely the one who is “receiving” (i.e. is to receive) one talent is almost defaultly “going away” to dig that concealing hole. Manifestly it was because his lord knew that he was not as talented, capable and/or reliable as the other ones that he had been set to only receive one talent to work with. But he clearly did not disprove this low expectation of him as he defaultly did not even bother to try to obtain an increase with this entrusted funding.

            NJK Application - This speaks of (rank & file type) people in the NJK-HQ who may not be as (Spiritually, Leadershiply and/or Intellectually) talented as those in higher positions/occupations. They therefore may think/assume that their contribution is of no importance or consequence to the overall cause. But that is certainly not the case. Each worker in the NJK-HQ has a task to do and the entire enterprise depends on it being properly done, and at the equivalent “doubling” competence/quality as the rest of the group.

            And, as in this parable, it is those who have more (natural) talents who are tasked with correspondingly more (given) talents and are expected to proportionally produce more talents, and all according to the “servant-leadership” model of The Law of the New Kingdom (=Matt 20:25-28|Luke 22:25-27):

Christ was establishing a kingdom on different principles. He called men, not to authority, but to service, the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak. Power, position, talent, education, placed their possessor under the greater obligation to serve his fellows. To even the lowliest of Christ's disciples it is said, "All things are for your sakes." 2 Corinthians 4:15. {DA 550.3} 

"The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." Among His disciples Christ was in every sense a caretaker, a burden bearer. He shared their poverty, He practiced self-denial on their account, He went before them to smooth the more difficult places, and soon He would consummate His work on earth by laying down His life. The principle on which Christ acted is to actuate the members of the church which is His body. The plan and ground of salvation is love. In the kingdom of Christ those are greatest who follow the example He has given, and act as shepherds of His flock. {DA 550.4}

Matthew 25:19a - "Now after a long time comes the master of those slaves

Luke 19:15a - "When he came to be as a result of his return from receiving the kingdom,

after a long time - Again, in the private version of this parable, Jesus is more open to indicate that a “long time” would elapse in that master’s working absence.

from receiving the kingdom - Even if his own citizens hated, and had been actively opposing, him (Luke 19:14), this nobleman was able to carry out the object of his journeyings, i.e. receive the kingdom. As seen in Matt 22:7ff, this noble-man-king, would evidently not be shy to use whatever justified means at his disposal to bring about his intended Kingdom-establishment result. (=Dan 7:11 = Rev 17&18; cf. Matt 13:40-43; Dan 7:12 = Rev 19:15)

Matthew 25:19b - and settles accounts with them.

Luke 19:15b - he ordered to be called to him these slaves, to whom he had given the money, so that he might know what pragmatic work they had done.

settles accounts - This is literally “settles (the) word” (Greek logos [#3056] and in the singular). When “logos” is actually translated as “account” it basically refers to, or is based on/from: ‘something which has been, and/or is to be, (formally) spoken’, as: ‘to give an account’ (e.g. Luke 16:2; Rom 14:12; Heb 13:17; 1 Pet 3:15; 4:5 & Acts 1:1; 19:14). So here, this master wanted to see how his “word” of instruction when leaving to ‘do pragmatic work with that funding’ was carried out by these entrusted slaves.

            That basis on the “word of the master” is also the basis for Christ’s Final Judgement (John 12:47-48; cf. Luke 6:46-49)

money = “silver”. The Greek word here rendered as “money” (argurion [#694]) basically is/means “silver”, and thus it is the same word, -used here in reference for the “minas”, that is used in Matt 25:18 for “talents”. It generically means “money” but with minas and talents having different values. The “mina” coin weighed 11.46 oz. troy = 356.4 g and so was of lower weight of/in silver than was the “talent” which weighed 687.5 oz. troy = 21.38 kg. And so the mina had ca. 60x less monetary value than the talent.

Matthew 25:20 - "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.'

Luke 19:16 - "The first appeared, saying, 'Master, your mina has made ten minas more.'

            Whether it is the doubling productivity in the (private) talents version of Matt 25 or the tenfold increase of the (public) minas version of Luke 19, the lesson of Christ is equivalent = Those who are entrusted with their lord’s capital, whether large as talents or comparatively small as minas, are expected to do all in their power to bring about a striking result/product.

            Quite fitting of Jesus to speak of “weightier” responsibilities when speaking in private to his much more favored, and thus more responsible, disciples, than when he was relating this parable in public to less aware/instructed/favored people. But both groups are expected to do their utmost best in being productive with what they have been tasked with.

Matthew 25:21 - "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.'

Luke 19:17 - "And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.'

enter into the joy of your lord - Clearly the master had used his work travel departure to receive his kingdom as also a testing of the slaves which were left behind and in charge of his capital. As seen in the statement in Luke 19:17, he was evidently looking for future leaders for the cities of the kingdom he was going to obtain. = “you are to be in authority over ten cities”.   

            NJK Project Application - By the way, when in ca. 2013, I first discovered/notice in the Bible both that Jesus had said that parable of the talents in Luke 19:11-27, and that the reward of the faithful slaves pointedly was to ‘rule over cities in Christ’s Kingdom’, it thrilling confirmed, as with several other such Bible/SOP confirmations, the plans of the NJK Project and its Holy Cities.

Matthew 25:22 - "Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.'

Luke 19:18 - "The second came, saying, 'Your mina, master, has made five minas.'

-Same point as above in Matt 25:20|Luke 19:16.

Matthew 25:23 - "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.' 
Luke 19:19 - "And he said to him also, 'And you are to be over five cities.'

-Same point as above in Matt 25:21|Luke 19:17.

Matthew 25:24a - "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said,

Luke 19:20a - "Another [of a different kind] came, saying,

Another [of a different kind] - =Greek heteros [#2087]. As all the slaves in the Luke 19 version had equally received one mina to work with, this slave here was “different” from all of the other ten who manifestly had all been reporting an increase. So he was indeed a ‘“different kind” of responding slave’.

Luke 19:20b - 'Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief;

Matthew 25:24b - 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.

reaping where you did not sow.... - So that slave did indeed (Matt 25:26) know that the master would be expecting a product in/from that which he had not stipulatingly ordered to be done.

            NJK Project Application - This reminds me of the asininely moronic excusing that I have encountered in objection to the planned work of the NJK Project (e.g. the responding comments here), for which, as respondingly stated (e.g.) here [entry #73551 & #73558], the NJ Kingdom-Holy Cities aspect of this planning is in order to necessarily and adequately, even best, service & support the inherent demand from the scale of those planned exhaustive humanitarian good works (cf. Luke 14:28), which effectively say: ‘Jesus does not actually expect His followers to so exhaustively/thoroughly help people in need’. Well that is not at all what I read in either Christ’s own teachings or throughout rest of the Bible....Indeed most crucially/determinatively quite to the contrary (Matt 25:45-46).

            Some even, indeed “asininely/moronically”, really purely selfishly, purport that works such as saving children from abortion was not cited by Jesus in Matt 25:35-36, 43-44....Well that is only because it was not a crisis, if even existing evil of that day, but He now does expect His True Followers to be seeking to ‘reap and gather results’ in such areas of need that He Himself had not explicitly cited, =‘sowed/seeded’!

Matthew 25:25 - 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'

Luke 19:21 - for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.'

See you have what is yours - This perfectly reflects how SDAs today are “so cautious” with trying to (Capitalistically) safeguard the institutions that their Pioneers were blessed with establishing. So they do not strive to do with these more than what the current Capitalistic market allows them to...even if that means not doing the exhaustive good works that God actually wants them to Biblically do. They are indeed “fearful” that God will be angry with them if they fail in maintain the operation of e.g. a Hospital, University, Food Plant, Publishing House because they had extendingly sought to use these facilities to, respectively: treat those who cannot afford Health Care; educate and train students for missionary service; feed the hungry, freely spread the word. Little do they know, or care, that God would long have blessed any such faith-depending initiatives and Himself acted to not only preserve those rightly used institutions/facilities, but cause them to thrive above all other comparable worldly ones.

            Indeed many false-fearfully delude themselves to think that they do not have to strive to do any jot more than what Jesus/God explicitly said in the Bible....and yet they do not even strive to fully do that... But Jesus said: “do pragmatic work until I come”...And so, as also different sort of work presents itself, His Followers are to adapt themselves to Biblically/Righteously/Truthfully. Lovingly (=1 Cor 13:6) resolves that “new” issue also. The Gospel of Christ comprehensively made ample provision for this working principle.

            Jesus indeed is an “exacting man” (Matt 25:45-46)

Matthew 25:26 - "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.

Luke 19:22 - "He said to him, 'By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?

wicked - It is generally, and also specifically, to note that the Greek work for “wicked/evil” (=poneros [#4190] basically means “toilsome”, i.e. “characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort”. This paints “evil” as an overbearing slavemaster who does not allow for his slaves to find any rest, but keep on working. Well isn’t that what the Bible overarchingly pits God vs. Satan in their Great Controversy. God, from the beginning has sought to provide literal and Spiritual Sabbatical Rest for him created human beings, while Satan has, and still is, seeking to do away with any such provided Sabbatical Rests, from the 24-hour, Seventh-Day Sabbath, to the derived related socio-economic rest (e.g. Isa 58). =the “masters vs. slaves” characterizing of EW 286.1.

            God’s Sabbatical Provision all inherently are a testing of faith in Him, and when passed, it warrants Him to (supernaturally) do/supply for His faithful people what they actually would never be able to do/provide, -no matter how much they toil, for/of themselves. But Satan wants to eclipse this linking between God and Man and so variously deluded men to think that they could do/provide for themselves what God Himself would do/provide...even if they work harder for it. E.g. God recommends Biblical Socialism, but Satan claims that a Capitalistic approach is what will result in a better “life, liberty and happiness.”

            So from all of this, it can be best comprehended what Jesus said/meant in Matt 11:28-29. He came to provide the rest, including, as deliberately demonstrated by Him in 7 Sabbath-Day miracles, the healing dimension of God’s Sabbath/Sabbatical Ways. Satan on the other hand, wants to ruin the lives of people by variously making them (=atheistically) solely rely on themselves and their own way of doing things. Satan’s “toilsome” wicked/evil ways are indeed “worthless”, and it actually is Capitalistic way which is “lazy” as, contrary to True/Biblical Socialism, it actually does not care to busy itself in trying to equivalently meet the needs of everyone in need, but only caters to those who can afford its whimsical/selfish/artificial prices.

you know that I am... - Again, most paradigm shiftingly notice that Jesus does not depict Himself as reprimanding the slave for having had a completely false, slanderous = “blasphemous” view of him, but instead says that He indeed is that way, and so the slave should have acted accordingly so that he would be able to ‘reap where He had not sown”. Likewise Jesus will be expecting His followers over the centuries to have been productive in the areas of need where He had not actually explicitly said so.

            It is important to caution that some people confuse such an imperative with doing things contrary to what Jesus and the Bible teach. E.g. now accepting homosexual behavior/lifestyle, or allowing elective abortion to relieve the mother of psychological and/or economical burden. But such abominations and unrighteousness do not begin to be a “plant” that Jesus, or His Father (Matt 15:13), ever wanted to be sown, and so He will be reaping there...indeed to the contrary, He will be uprooting such tares (Matt 13:37-43) and burning them up. (=Rev 21:11, 12-15)

Matthew 25:27 - 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.

Luke 19:23 - 'Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, with interest I could have worked it?'

put my money in the bank - Literalistically: “the table of the money changers’ (cf. John 2:15-16).

            As stated in emblematic response in this discussion [Entry #73596] to the base claim that ‘God wants his people to be operating according to Capitalistic (i.e. profiteering and usury) ways’, well, as Jesus points out here, that is ‘the very least” that this “wicked/evil and lazy” slave could have done. When dealing with the unbelieving world, God does allow His people to shrewdly deal in their ways (see Exod 22:25; Lev 25:35-37; Deut 23:19-20; Ezek 18:8, 13, 17; 22:12; Psa 15:5; -discussed in Entry #73599). But when it comes to His People internal economy. It is to be according to a Biblical Socialistic Economic Model.

with interest I could have worked it - The proper translation of this phrase is not saying that ‘the master could have gotten his money back with interest’, but rather that the master could then have also had interest with his money in order to do the work what he had intended to be done with the funding he had given. So his goal is not to merely increase his money, but to also do pragmatic work with it.

Matthew 25:28 - 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'

Luke 19:24 - "Then he said to the bystanders, 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.'

give it to the one who has ten - More so in the Matt 25 parable with the talents which has an equal “doubling” rate of increase with all of the productive slaves, it makes it strange that this unimproved funding be given to the one who now has ten. In the Luke 19 parable with the minas, at least the one with 10 had had the highest rate of increase with a tenfold (versus fivefold for the second slave) rate. So then it would make sense to give it to this most productive slave....But as seen in the next verse, it is only on the Luke 19 version that an objection to this reallocation is said to be made.

Luke 19:25 - "And they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas already.'

            And here is that objection.

Matthew 25:29 - "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will be abundantly enriched; but the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away from him.

Luke 19:26 - "I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.

shall be taken away - Christ’s message here is clear. God will not be wastefully allocating His Kingdom resources, i.e. leaving them in the hands of people who are not doing anything to improve them. His is a zero-sum operation and, as indicated in Matt 21:43, God will be taking away His Kingdom’s resources from all those who are not doing its work and bringing forth its fruits and give it to the one who is, and who best is.

            As seen next in the concluding statements of this parable, those who have not been faithful with the trust God has placed on them are not to be left alone, but are to be judiciously punished and ruined....

                                                                                               

                                               

Matthew 25:30 - "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

            outer darkness - That Hell-like “outer darkness” is the same/continuing “darkness” from the parable of the Ten Virgins. It is the darkness of the Christ-less world. Inside the Wedding Hall (=NJK-CC), the master’s Household of Slaves doing Medical Healing Services (=NJK-HQ), the Church Triumphant (=FSZC) and the New Jerusalem Kingdom (=NJK-HC) the Light (John 8:12; 9:5) of the Son of Righteousness (Mal 4:1-3) shine bright (=Rev 22:5; 21:25), indeed now “7 times brighter” than before, when in its pre-Zion, Church Militant phase/times. (=Isa 30:26)

                       

            As discussed in this dedicated post, the (indefinite, but at most 1000 years) Jubilee Millennium Era will be a time when the rest of the world will be groping about in darkness (Jer 4:23; cf. Isa 24:3-6ff; 2:5) while the people of God, living in the (artificial) islands of the sea (Isa 24:15 =Dan 11:45 = the NJK-HC) are seeing and doing things clearly in God’s Light while going out and seeing/witnessing the Unbelievers living in their God-ruined (=Rev 19:17ff) realm (=Isa 66:24; see Isa 2).

            It is the Light from the presence, practice and blessing of/from the “good work” of Christ/God which serve to keep the world from total darkness. (Isa 58:8; Matt 5:14-16; Eph 2:8-10; Isa 60:1ff). By definition Atheists, -moreover those who believe in the false theory of Evolution (see more here), who do any good/humanitarian/charitable works towards people in need, rather than go by the “survival of the fittest” tenet of their Evolutional claims, are actually walking in, and practicing the Good Works Light of Jesus Christ....and that is why it can be accounted to them as Saving Righteousness (Matt 25:31-40ff; Rom 2:12-16)...You’re Welcome...

            This permitted period of starkingly contrasting Millennial Darkness in/for the rest of the world, is to allow for unbelievers, now freed from the Devil’s deluding influence (Rev 20:1-3ff) to ponder their unrighteous course and seek to go towards, understand and heed: Christ’s Light....You’re Welcome Again.....

Luke 19:27 - "However these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and kill them off in my presence."

However these enemies of mine.... - This refers pointedly to those who had had the best opportunity to know this master’s will, but had chosen to oppose him. Unlike the rest of the unaware or less aware people, these are to be judged. This is to be the fate for the misguiding leaders of the Mark of the Beast Camp (=Rev 19:17-21), namely the “one-third” of the World known as: the First/Western World (=Rev 9:18-19)

...kill them off in my presence. - This pointedly speaks of a complete wiping out of these enemies. The added “in my presence” imagery echoes, or chronologically accurate, foreshadows what Jesus later revealed in Revelation would be the same type/process of fate for those who came to be part of the Mark of the Beast Camp (Rev 14:9-11; cf. Rev 6:15-17) Indeed the Little Lamb’s wrath is to exact the same type of deadly harm that these opponents had done to him (cf. Luke 23:30 = Isa 2:19))       

            NJK Project Application - This time of the fulfillment of the Prophetic Parable of the Talents is the time when the NJK-HQ is established and operating. It is the Sixth Prophetic Series Era (Rev 3:7-13; 6:12-17; 9:13-21; 16:12-16 -discussed in detailed in here). Babylon has been dealt a crippling blow back in the Fifth Prophetic Series (Rev 16:10-11). God’s sincere and faithful people who were in it now see that it is indeed Satan’s HQ on this Earth (Rev 18:1-5ff) and thus are now fleeing it in droves (Rev 16:12). God has been powerfully, even Supernaturally acting with His Faithful People in their NJK-HQ work. He has “shaken the powers of heaven” (=the World’s “Leading Lights” = Moral/Spiritual Guidance =Rev 16:12-13 -See EW 41.1). As explained in here = These (also applicable) symbols of the: “Sun, Moon and Stars” respectively represent:

Sun: People’s Righteousness/Right-Doing Compass and so, in an application: the Economy;

Moon: Religious/Morals “Economy” which, like the sun vs. the moon, is usually a mere reflection of what society as a whole is deeming as righteous. E.g. Protestants had deemed that the greed, selfish and covetousness of Capitalism was the “right” way for a society to function and so in many ways it came to affect what was right and wrong in/for the Religious Economy...I.e. How the Church does/funds its own mandated work. (=Luke 16:13)

Stars: These are the various “messengers” (cf. Rev 1:20; 3:1) who provide sun-equivalent (merely) illuminating “light” during the (regular-recurring) “night” portions, until the sun reappears and provides both the fullest light, as well as heat and energy.

            This Earth’s only true “Sun” is Jesus Christ and His Religious/Moral/Socio-Economic Righteousness. This world has long been in a “night” of unrighteousness, with nowadays being the darkest of all, i.e. midnight, especially as God’s own “stars” in his True Witnesses/Messengers are, -as detailed in Note #16[cont'd here], being persecuted in a joint-effort from the unrighteous world, -including the Christian Church, -including the SDA Church, to silence and extinguish them. (=Matt 25:6; COL 414.3-415.5ff)

            So in the world’s state of “night”, its various, both Secular and Religious/Spiritual are trying to present what they think is righteousness light. In fact, these people in the dark actually think that the sun is shining brightly when their advocated light, whether e.g. Capitalism, Catholicism, “City on Hill” America, Secularism, Atheism, etc, is/are widely upheld and reflected in the world. But at this point here, all of those supposed Sun lights, and their reflecting moon satellites, have all indeed been shaken by the blow which has been dealt to Babylon. That blow is indeed a “shock” to each of these deemed lights as it has shattered a major tenet of the core foundation of these various ‘houses (variously) not (actually) built on the Words of Christ” (=Matt 7:24-27|Luke 6:46-49).

            In, as for/with/from the original 9/11/2001 Event, the perceivable fulfillment of a prophetic event, thus showing that the Bible is True/Truth, and one which convincingly reveals the pointed judgement of God on the Religio-National entity which clearly is now seen to be “Babylon”, these unrighteous ones can easily, actually if they choose to, see that they are in the wrong. The “stars” of this (religiously and/or temporally) anti-Christ side effectively no longer have anything plausible to say/claim and so indeed ‘fall from their upheld/prominent “heavenly” realm/position onto the earth as unripe figs’ (Rev 6:13). The “great ‘warring’ wind” which clearly has forcedly cast them down, is indeed that war-like 9/11 II doom which has befallen on Babylon.

            So these unrighteous ones, pointedly the sheeple who had been deceived and deluded by these false “star” leaders of this false righteousness lights, now have a decision to make...whether to remain entrenched in their opposition to God and His (actual) ways, or double down on

Satan’s side.

            This shaking of the powers of Heavens is culminating by “the sky being rolled up like a scroll” (Rev 6:14a). Pivotal Prophecy has been fulfilled which sealingly ends the Historicist development of things, and now a new scroll is to be unrolled, whose content reveals what God is going to be doing from then on, both in the Heavenly and Earthly realm. This revelation is to serve to seal any willing and so choosing person against what is still to come as this Sixth Series of overturning things continue to, literally “shake” and fallout.

            With the “Sun, Moon and Stars”-powers of the heavens having been “disturbed”, the powers of the Earth (=Temporal) which variously relied and dependent on these heavenly/guiding lights are inevitably also affected = “shaken”(EW 41.2).....And not even the best (economic) refuges (=“mountains”) and (politically) insulating positions/locations (=“islands”) of the Earth can be turned to (Rev 6:14b; cf. 16:20). But those who “brave out their rebellion” (KC 125.4) against the action of God here, -those who, including in the Christian&SDA Church/World, know that they do not have either clean hands nor a pure heart to be able to stand before the Little Lamb (EW 15.2; cf. KC 124.5), will prefer to ‘take their chances’ with those mountains and the crushing rocks which are being dangerously detached & expelled from them. (Rev 6:15-17)

            So if these persisting rebels are going to be able to regroup, reorganize and reconstitute what had been their unrighteous way of life before, they will have to do so both in a correspondingly differing light, a “shifted” way and an “elsewhere” location as this shaking of Heaven and Earth which affected ‘whatever could be shaken’, i.e. whatever was not actually founded on the Word of God as stipulated by Jesus Christ (Heb 12:26-27)....And, like their ancestral “Tower of Babel” builders (Gen 11:1-9), these rebels will now have to set up a Kingdom (of Satan) Entity that they think will surely preempt and/or contravene any further judgement that God would inflict on them for their preferred Unrighteous Ways....So they, like the defiant worshippers of Baal (1 Kgs 18:20ff), “religiously” gather to the “mountain of (the valley of) Meggido” (=Rev 16:16).

            But really...who in their right/rational mind would then so choose to “brave out their rebellion” against the easily perceptible, and thus clear, judgements of/from God...well in the light of any such reasonable doubt, -i.e doubting of their unrighteousness and anti-Christ worldview, belief and stance and as God had effectively supernaturally intervened to protect and avenge His faithful ones, -including with ‘angels working in their midst’, -including defending/avenging angels “in the form of men of war” (FLB 340.5; LDE 260.1; 267.1), the Rules of Engagement of/for the Great Controversy will have allowed Satan to likewise “effectively supernaturally” act to seal his preferring devotees in his ways of unrighteousness. But clearly now, the overtly/pompously selfish/greedy/covetous and indecent/immoral ways of the past cannot again be claim to be the “leading (Capitalistic & Secularism) lights” as God clearly has judged, and will likely again judge, these unrighteous ways. So now they must be at the very least, “God-proofed” against His Judgements. So Satan, deceivingly disguising himself as an “Angel of Light” (=2 Cor 11:14), steps in here to supernaturally (=Rev 16:13-14) provide his Gospel-Falsifying “light” (cf. Gal 1:8-9) and thus spiritually reignites/re-empowers his “stars” as ministers, even servants of (false) righteousness (=2 Cor 11:15). In direct and necessary attempt to contravene and counterfeit the Rev 18:1 “Earth-illuminating” ‘Loudly Crying’ Light of manifested by the Full Gospel, True Medical Missionary Work of the NJK-HQ.

            Under these ‘God-permitted’ (=2 Thess 2:9-12) deluding physical and societal healing signs and wonders, Catholics, Protestant, Capitalists, Secularist/Atheists, etc i.e. “[Francis]Papists, Protestants and Worldlings” (See at Ezek 39:24 in here) enthusiastically do rally together, putting aside their previously dividing differences, to rebuild the “better” version of their world/society....a systematically Philanthro-Capitalistic world, where also (truth & righteousness-devoid) “Love” (contra 1 Cor 13:6) is supposed to sanctify sinfulness...(including “smoking pot”). And the Capitalist faction of this heterogenous Confederacy (=Rev 17:8-12) will come to successfully convince the various other factions, including its United Nations one (=Rev 17:12), that even (“nothing-off-the-table”) physical military force should be used to force the purely Biblical-Socialistic NJK-HQ to go along with this New World Order, or be forcefully dissolved and disbanded, if ever the world’s problems are, per their unrighteous view, going to be viably/enduringly resolved....

            ....And so hence is the Grand and Final Showdown between this now cobbled Babylon and the People of God. The NJK-HQ has been Spiritually and Temporally organizing, preparing and training its “army” during this Sixth Era. (=Rev 9:16)...What they non-militaristically reveal and go out and do has, as it is God’s own Earth overturning Truth and Ways, no other option but to be as devastating to this unrighteous World’s various entities, societies and institutions as a military blow. So in their Satan-deluded baseness, these unrighteous foes deem it justified to even use military force to try to impose their ways on God’s (True) People.

16. The Crisis Storm’s Fallout

Seventh Era = The Church Triumphant

            By now, it is the Seventh Series of Fulfillment. In their preluding Sixth Era dealings, the NJK-HQ has established the “righteous laity/people” (cf. Jer 31:34) that was always supposed to be a remedied-“hot” Laodicea....Even technically-speaking, in the looming Mega-Lawsuit which involves the present-day lukewarm leading Laodicea entity: the SDA Church, as this itself exacts “damages” against this Defendant that it cannot presently repay, then its best option, so as to not dissolve due to paying up bankruptcy, will literally be to just hand over the “keys” of its Global Denomination over to the complete control of NJK (=Dan 11:15-17); -which would only represent much less than 10% of the projected starting (=post-Shaking’s “running start” =Amos 9:8-10, 11-13; cf. Isa 54:1-3ff) Ecclesiastical assets of the NJK’s FSZC Remnant Church New Denomination Organization (cf. Isa 49:6). Hence will be the concealedly-prophesied, calibratingly resetting, “SDA’s Whirlwind Judgement”, especially as the then governing NJK will surely be indeed replacing all of the prior false-shepherd leaders in that Church/Denomination. As for the surviving laity, like fallen Canaan-overtaking Israel back then, the only option will be: ‘servingly comply or be removed’ (Deut 20:10-18). I.e. agree to execute the Full Gospel, True Medical Missionary, Mandate of the NJK, or be removed as Church members. So thus, the SDA Church, if it is to ever corporately/institutionally survive this judgement of it, will have to agree to be “taken over” by the NJK, and be technically rebranded as the FSZC, thus, Spiritually, be transformed from its former Church Militant status, to now the Church Triumphant = the Church of Christ which has finally truly overcome the world. (=Rev 11:15-18).

            God has long been endeavoring to establish this Church Triumphant. Starting from the days of the Reformation He was working with cooperating humans to unravel the damage which Satan had led people in His Church to do in the constituting of Babylon. (=Rev 6:7-8 versus Matt 16:18 & Rev 8:13)....But at each of those subsequent three “woeful” corrective steps of the Fifth to Seventh Series (=Rev 8:13ff), God’s entrusted allegiance-professing people have failed to fully heed the various ways in which God was counseling and acting to produce the Church Triumphant by this Seventh Era. So God has had to, in these Eschatological times, indeed go back to the drawing board of those 3, Fifth-Seventh, Eras, in order to be able to do so now, and now, in the successful NJK, this Church Triumphant Era has been achieved.

            Now His Will is finally being done, -and perfectly so, in the Earth as it is in Heaven (Matt 6:10; =DA 680.1 = Rev 18.1 = MM 131.2-132.3 = Rev 14:6ff = EW 285.2|Ezek 37:26-28), even as if Jesus Himself was again walking amongst the people of the Earth (Luke 17:20-21|DA 506-510), and so is the living testimony of Kingdom of God brought to life (Matt 24:14). At this same time, the Mark of the Beast camp is still persisting in trying to snuff out this Kingdom of God and its testimony. Having successfully “religiously” rallied, gathered and reconstituted themselves on their Har-Mageddon mountain, they now try to inflict a political force on the NJK from now the Garrison City of the Valley of Meggido = “Ar-Mageddon”. But the geo-political army (Rev 17:12-13) that they send out towards the “mountains of God’s Israel”(=Ezek 38:8), i.e. the NJK’s: NJK-CC, the NJK-HQ and the FSZC, is more than aptly met, and defeated by the righteousness-shielded armies of the Little Lamb (Rev 19:11-14, 17:14 -see this post)...

            ...And so is Babylon lastingly destroyed (Rev 16:17-21; 18:21ff)...and God’s People are now free to populatingly spread out in (=Dan 11:45) and influentially, through preaching the Word of God, lead (Rev 19:15-16), the World, with the inevitable end result being the Rev 11:15-18 Triumph.....until Satan is again allowed to, sometime along this effect Temporal Jubilee Millennium Era, try to test the sincerity and faithfulness to God of the world’s people. (Rev 20:7-8ff)

Post-Jubilee Millennium Era

            ...Satan does succeed to find, and largely so, people who would rather not live in Faith in, and according to the Pure Righteousness Ways of, God, and so this Millennial Era is thus ended....and as there then is an ensuing tangible rearming for a revived and resumed Gog and Magog Warring against God’s Faithful Israel, and with all of the satisfactory GC evidence now in by now, Jesus has no reason not to end all things, once and for Eternity, with His Glorious Second Coming. What had previously been merely Typologically done, in order to allow the Unsaved/Unbelieving World this merciful Jubilee Millennium Era, will now be anti-typologically be done, thus now literalistically fulfilling the Eschatological/Apocalyptic  prophesies of the Bible and (EGW-)SOP (cf. 3SM 76.4)

17. Final (Great White Throne) Judgement                      

            So the Parable of the Talents is one which covers the entire time until Christ’s Glorious Second Coming, and sets out the Full-Gospel “good works” which should be done during this intervening time, which is the Jubilee Millennium’s Era. And that is why, Christ’s next Parable in this series of prophetic parables in Matt 24-25 is the one about the Post-Millennium Judgement, the “Great White Throne Judgement” of Rev 20:11-14 where Jesus judges all according to this most basic, yet most perfectly indicative of true conversion: Full Gospel Mandate.

Matthew 25:31-46||DA 637-641 - The Sheep vs. The Goats

            Indeed the stipulations of this parable are so straightforward, even not at all symbolically/allegorically encrypted, and so easy to understand, that no commentary at all is needed, and indeed not done below, for it. Any such “commenting” has actually been done throughout the preceding commentary of this blog post, and this Spiritually fittingly enough, because any correct understanding of what it will take to pass the Final Judgement of Christ will have to be done in what Jesus had already stated. As personally experienced, those who pass this judgement will only be seeing in this parable, as indeed depicted in the allegorical Final Test post, the, after-the-practicing-fact, confirming evidence of the already long-understood and inculcated Full Gospel Beliefs and Mandated Ways.

            Indeed the fact that this parable is not encrypted by symbols, as done by Christ’s other parables (Matt 13:10-17) and also the prophecies of the Bible (=Dan 12:4, 9-10) is that, technically, by this, its time of fulfillment, it will indeed be after the Millennium, thus at the ending of the Great Controversy, so there is “chronologically” no longer a need to encrypt its message.

            But the fact that Jesus is allowing for this transparency to be seen even long before & now, is that He will be most serious about judging people according to its (seemingly) simplistic Full Gospel requirements. But Jesus knows, as amply proven over the years and especially today, that even the most faithfulness-professing of Christians will be easily and successfully tempted to not live out these requirements. And so they too will,“shockingly-to-them”, therefore not be saved....As it was rebukingly said to Naaman (2 Kgs 5:13), if God had called for some great thing to be done, or even if God had required something religious for salvation (e.g. ‘praying rote prayers 5 times per day while facing a Mega-Church or Denominational HQ’), people will be all to will to do it, but since this ‘helping all those who are in need’ corely grates at the natural selfish, self-serving, greedy, covetous and faithless tendencies and nature of unconverted people, then it is, and even “religiously/sanctimoniously” so, ignored. So both the involved demand and complexity of this claim by Jesus is sufficient in itself that even plainly-speaking it would not “betray” it. Just like Jesus repeatedly plainly told His most trusted inner circle, His 12 Disciples, of His Execution Death, but it had no failproofing effect with them as they were too preoccupied with the self-aggrandizing views of the Kingdom of God that they had and were expecting Jesus to soon establish....

            ...So in the light of such clear transparency & simplicity, all that there really is to, preluding say about this parable, is refer to the supposed to further elucidate “illustrating” anecdote given here...If people just do not get all of this Full Gospel Message by now/then, then there literally is nothing more that God can do, and such people really are on a path to committing the self-fulfilling “unpardonable sin” against God’s Holy Spirit....

Matthew 25:31 - "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.

Matthew 25:32 - "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;

Matthew 25:33 - and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

Matthew 25:34 - "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.

Matthew 25:35 - 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;

Matthew 25:36 - naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'

Matthew 25:37 - "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?

Matthew 25:38 - 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?

Matthew 25:39 - 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'

Matthew 25:40 - "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, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

Matthew 25:41 - "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

Matthew 25:42 - for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;

Matthew 25:43 - 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.'

Matthew 25:44 - "Then they themselves also will answer, '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?'

Matthew 25:45 - "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

Matthew 25:46 - "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

-See the following basically excellent, {i.e.: -as chronic with SDAs (cf. MM 131.2): not Theologically/Biblically/Prophetically/Practically as “Full” as the exposition done in this above blog post}, GYC 2015 Seminar on the Medical Ministry Mandate & Work.

Notes

[1] As typical with many of the other blog posts in this “Theological Views” blog, this present post was likewise “triggered” and “spring-boarded” upon listening/viewing a sermon by a (prominent) SDA Preacher on a (key) topic. Typically, they “naturally” (=1 Cor 2:6-16) present the topic according to the best of what their Biblical understanding and Spiritual experience is, but as these are curtailedly limited by their “half-righteousness” comprehension (cf. Matt 5:20), these presentations are patently deficient as to bringing forth all of the Light, pointedly and pertinently enough: “New Light”, that Jesus/God has (concealedly) contained in His word (=1SM 25.4; cf. Psa 119:105) , -particularly in prophetic passages as is Matt 24 & 25, in order to “illuminate” the (otherwise) dark road ahead of the presently commenced “(Purposefully) Prolonged Time” era (=15MR 292.3-4).

            So this time, it is Steven Wohlberg, who, -although in this [Dec 2, 2015] sermon (audio&transcript) on the Ten Virgins of Matt 25:1-13 made a couple of good points/application (i.e. that Biblically check out), still has come up short about the Whole Counsel, Full Testimony and Present Truth contained in that key/chief Prophetic Parable of Christ. This Advanced Revelation can only be arrived at by having mindfully/bodily ingested and experientially walked in the Full Righteousness Message & Gospel Mandate of Jesus Christ (=TM 116.1; cf. LDE 218.3-219.3ff=here).

P.S. On the flip side, see the 2014 “Ten Virgin” sermon by Peter Gregory who presents an acceptable, i.e. less-than-more “half-righteousness”, exposition & application of this parable.

[2] While the sinful and abominable lifestyle of people in the days of Noah and Lot resulting in the outpouring of the Great Judgements of God are inclusively being warned against here, the actual, i.e. exegetical, meaning of these statements by Christ pointedly is about the way in which these evildoers were caught by surprise by these sudden judgement. Indeed they were ‘living their daily lives as usual’ when suddenly it all ended for them. And mind you, both the Antedilluvians (Gen 6:3) and (effectively) the Sodomites (cf. Gen 19:11) had (in some fair, understandable way) been warned in advanced of these judgements, and yet they were still caught by surprise...pointedly because they resolutely decided to, and even mockingly/defiantly so, ignore these warnings allowed by God and resumed living their abominable daily lives. That permitted season of warnings and ensuing period of delay of judgement was to have been a period of repentance and preparation for these sinful people, but they chose to disturb themselves and use it as such. (Cf. Rev 9:20-21)

[3] This is typically the level of emotion that the infomercial & news media tries to inflict on its viewers with shocking images [e.g. this Vietnam War one] and/or videos [this Syrian War one] & [1980's infomercials on the famine in Ethiopia] which leave their viewers with a “sickening feeling/broken heart” and thus moves them to try to do something; -[which in our vacuous Social Media age/generation is increasing nothing tangibly much, e.g. a Twitter #hastash campaign e.g. #BringBackOurGirls].

[4] With Luke being a physician, it is no surprise that upon hearing, during his research, of this more detailed, -(and manifestly not yet concealingly encrypted*), “medical” version of this (Matt 24:42-47ff|Mar 13:33-34ff) parable that Jesus had priorly given (Luke 12:42-44ff), he was most interested in it for his gospel which focused on the human/humanitarian dimension of Jesus. (Hence his: Face of a Man Living Creature gospel). Probably Luke’s overall point/purpose was to demonstrate to his Roman Official reader that Jesus (and His new Religion) was good/beneficial for society/humanity, and so (the) Romans should not be fearful/leery of it, indeed despite its Jewish roots/links, -who mainly wanted to have the Roman rule over them overthrown.

* It is not surprising to see that the earlier version of this parable was given in more details by Jesus. The later, as he encountered more, and decided, opposition in His ministry, He neededly (Matt 13:10-17) also encrypted (as per Dan 12:4, 9-10; Rev 1:1) what He had priorly more openly related, all as a due blinding judgement on those defiantly unrighteous ones. But Luke, seeking to make his gospel account as plain and understandable to his Gentile Roman reader, would indeed naturally seize on any of such priorly more clear/detailed version of Christ’s statements/parables and also complimentarily to the then 2 other gospel accounts, recount them in his own gospel.

[5] There is a common take in Syntactical Greek circles to (even defaultly so), consider grammatical middle voices in the (NT) Greek as actually being essentially deprecated (i.e. “Deponents (“Dodo”) verbs”; cf. here), and so they are translationally rendered in either active or passive voices, but my own exegetical study and research experience has been/seen that these grammatical middle voice expressions still do carry/connote significant original meanings, as in this present case. Indeed, for me, just rendering the term according to its original grammatical (e.g. middle voice) identification actually produces a more/most accurate translation and (elucidating) understanding every time. So I am/do challenge Greek grammarians on this “deponent” claim.

[6] Interestingly enough, at the time of the 1840's Second Advent Movement, it was mostly people who came to see that a Pre-Millennium Second Coming was Biblical who mainly became part of this Second Advent Movement (see GC 321.1-2ff; 379.3), pointedly from amongst Protestant Churches as the Catholic Church did not, and still do not, have this belief in any Glorious Second Coming of Christ, and that “(no Second Coming at all) temporal millennium” belief within Protestant group was also a lingering incorrect teaching of their....(And manifestly the citing of such a belief by the end time oppositional, “Papist, Protestant and Worldlings” geo-confederacy (see GC 588.3 see at Ezek 39:24 in here)  is likewise from the adoption of this chief tenet of Catholics.)

[7] Relatedly as later seen in pertinent detail, evidently, Spiritually speaking, part of the “darkness” judgement, -which as discussed in here can also indeed be literalistic) on Babylon is, -along with the ‘bible lamp’ and ‘Christ’s New Jerusalem Bride’ no longer serving to elucidate the, Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom Himself no longer making His voice heard amongst them (See 16MR 270.2)...and that because Babylon had adulterated itself by instead “buying” from the merchants of the Earth (=Rev 18:23), instead of “freely” from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Rev 3:18; 22:17 = Isa 55:1-13; discussed in here).

[8] The most emblematic example of this systemic ditsy moronicity is how they do not care to most accurately present the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks, which the explanations and proofs that they give is fully of fatal flaws and sinking holes. And you can easily discern that this denominational indifference is influenced by Satan (=EW 54-56) as just this prophecy alone would, like it did during the 1840's awaken the whole word, Christian and Non-Christian, and thus would lead to a (Latter Rain) Reformatory&Evangelistic Movement that would be that one which ‘far exceeds that of the Millerites’ Midnight Cry’ (LDE 202.1-2ff).

[9] Especially, as prominent in the geo-political sphere today, the supposed “Christian” Nation, the United States, is wantonly threatening to “totally destroy” a nation of millions of, (mainly atheistic) people. Now trying to claim/preach to other non-Christians that ‘you(/your nation) are “the best Christians”’ when you won’t even begin to follow the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:43-48; =Matt 5:13) nor Biblically literate....At the very least, a Christian Spirit here would lead the leader of such a nation to fully engage in diplomatic relations/discussions with any deemed rogue/belligerent/“evil”, if merely to avoid that millions of people would be sent to Christless graves.... ...but enough here of the Babylonian-uber-drunk, Anti-Christ wannabe, Dognald Drumpf ....

[10] And that is the distinct that Jesus was going by when on one hand He said/meant that ‘[declaratively] calling someone a moron would put you in danger of hell” (Matt 5:22); however in his denunciative speech in Matt 23, He did call the Jewish leaders “morons” (Matt 23:17). He was so condemning them for what they had wrongly done (cf. Matt 7:26); and not “name-calling”.

[11] Probably why the title of a private discussion thread in an SDA forum that I used to be in [before I was moronically banned] is: “Is the Coming of the Bridegroom in the Ten Virgins Parable actually Satan?!?”

[12] Indeed this reminds me of my personal pet-peeves, in seeing publishers produce various type of specialty/niche Bible which have a contemporary, paraphrasing or quasi-paraphrasing text but which is not actually based on a first exegetically accurately or rightly understood text. Preachers also do the same in their sermons with what is termed “homiletic license”. As seen here, and in my posts in this blog, before jumping to application or interpretations, I first make sure to have accurately figured out the underlying Greek or Hebrew text. Along the lines of the tale, no use rushing ahead in the first parts. Better to start off right. #MeasureTwiceCutOnce

[13] The SDA Bible Commentary (SDABC) makes the customs background comment at Matt 25:1 that:

            “The fact that the young women, upon being awakened, saw the procession moving off without them (COL 406) suggests that they were not intimate friends of the bride, but acquaintances who, according to Oriental custom, would be welcome to join the procession and share in the festivities on their own initiative”. (various emphases supplied)

            This would imply that these virgins would have to pay for their own (lighting) supplies for their ‘voluntary’ part in the procession, but as this observation is actually based on what the SOP reveals Jesus had seen in real life, i.e. the bridegroom/bridal party arriving at the same time as the Midnight Cry, but it is quite manifest that Jesus deliberately tweaked that element for his derived prophetic parable to make it that the bridegroom only arrives some time after the Midnight Cry, then this Oriental customs observation would not have such an element to potentially/probably apply here.

            So the observation in the present commenting holds that: the procession supply expenses of/for these virgins were likely all freely supplied and paid by the bride, which thus involves that these virgins were in some close way, yet perhaps not intimately so, acquainted with, at least, the bride. Nonetheless, based on what is said in Matt 25:12, the (“Little Lamb”) bridegroom (Rev 21:9) himself did not so know them.

[14] This effort was mostly fruitless, except from an interesting email discussion with Anthony F. Buzzard who was challenging my rendering and interpretation of the Hebrew we-qis-o in Dan 9:26 “And its [margin: his] end” in the NASB, and which led to me showing/proving to him that the rendering: “This, their end,” was the most accurate and which also disproved [at least to me] the patent derived Futurist-Dispensational claim that the Matt 24:15/Mark 13:14 spoke of a future antichrist, instead of, as Luke clarifyingly explained, the Roman Armies (Luke 21:20). (Presented in here). To his honesty-credit, Buzzard floated the idea to me that I should write-up/submit my exegetical discovery to a Biblical Scholarship Journal, but I have opted to straightly include it in my book.

[15] Luke, in/for his wider explanatory statements for his more Gentile-friendly Gospel, may still have been quoting Jesus verbatim but only, -for his ‘careful/deeper investigating of everything’ (Luke 1:3), quoting what Jesus had explanatorily said on the side/in private to His Disciples. Thus effectively straightly inserting Jesus’ own marginal statements into the main text.

[16] Indeed looking through the SOP writings on this “spirit of criticism” topic/issue, and more widely its core of ‘criticism”, we can see just how and why God revealed here through the SOP that this was indeed a major and pivotal obstacle that the Church had to first overcome.

            Reading through the writings of the SOP in chronological order about this topic, we can indeed see EGW’s progressing crescendo about criticism, indeed with a ‘ramping up’ and pointedness leading into that year of 1898, with a turning point seemingly being around/after the (infamous) 1888 events (see esp. Note #1 in here), where by then “criticism” had also become a “spirit”, an unholy influence of course, moving about/upon unsuspecting, but actionably receptive, church members.

-Due to posting space limits, the remaining commenting on the SOP's "Spirit of Criticism" statements have to be posted in this separate post.

[17] On this, the final journey to Jerusalem, with His Triumphal Entry being soon*, Jesus was allowing that his arrivals to various cities along the way to be pre-announced and so widely publicized (See DA 485.1-2), disregarding now all the resolute death threats fro the Jewish leader against him (John 11:7-8, 16, 53; DA 537-542) for by now His “time” now had come (Matt 20:17-19|Mark 10:32-34|Luke 18:31-34).

* Actually it is the next related episode in Luke’s account Luke 19:28ff; with only one minor and one major recorded (pericope) episode in between, namely: ‘Christ’s Arrival at Bethany’ (John 11:55-12:1) and ‘The Feast at Simon’s House’, where/when ‘Mary’s Anointing of His Feet’ took place (Matt 26:6-13|Mark 14:3-9|Luke 12:2-11|DA 557-568).

[18] Apparently the Cosmic ‘Rule of Engagement’ of the Great Controversy only allow for one tangible, permanent presence of God at a time on the Earth in counter to ‘(aspiring/endeavoring) ruler/prince Satan’s’ (John 12:31; Eph 2:2; cf. Luke 4:5-6) own presence. This Great Controversy is literally a Cosmic Election Campaign, and so rules for fairness in trying to reach the masses have to be implemented and followed. Of course, by lying and deceiving, Satan is not being scrupulous to abide by these fairness rules, but that just allows God to be able to use various supernatural disclosure to procure leaders (=‘campaign volunteers’) amongst men to assist him in his campaigning. (See e.g. this supernatural manifestation in various Atheist-to-Christian conversion testimonies =Rev 12:11).