Jesus the
Christ
Chapter 32
- Further Instruction to the Apostles
Prophecies
Relating to the Destruction of Jerusalem and the Lord’s Future Advent
In the course
of His last walk from Jerusalem back to the beloved home at Bethany, Jesus
rested at a convenient spot on the Mount of Olives, from which the great city
and the magnificent temple were to be seen in fullest splendor, illumined by
the declining sun in the late afternoon of that eventful April day. As He sat
in thoughtful revery He was approached by Peter and James, John and Andrew, of
the Twelve, and to them certainly, though probably to all the apostles, He gave
instruction, embodying further prophecy concerning the future of Jerusalem,
Israel, and the world at large. His fateful prediction—that of the temple
buildings not one stone would be left upon another—had caused the apostles to
marvel and fear; so they came privately requesting explanation. “Tell us,” said
they, “when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming,
and of the end of the world?” The compound character of the question indicates
an understanding of the fact that the destruction of which the Lord had spoken
was to be apart from and precedent to the signs that were to immediately herald
His glorious advent and the yet later ushering in of the consummation commonly
spoken of then and now as “the end of the world.” An assumption that the events
would follow in close succession is implied by the form in which the question
was put.
Note:
Tangible temples of God ended with the Old Covenant.
Or do you not know that your
body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have
from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a
price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are
God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
The inquiry
referred specifically to time—when were these things to be? The reply dealt not
with dates, but with events; and the spirit of the subsequent discourse was
that of warning against misapprehension, and admonition to ceaseless vigilance.
“Take heed that no man deceive you” was the first and all-important caution;
for within the lives of most of those apostles, many blaspheming imposters
would arise, each claiming to be the Messiah. The return of Christ to earth as
Lord and Judge was more remote than any of the Twelve realized. Before that
glorious event, many wonderful and appalling developments would be witnessed,
among the earliest of which would be wars and rumors of wars, caused by nation
rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom, to the dread accompaniment
of famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in many places; yet all these would be
but the beginning of the sorrow or travail to follow.
Note: False
prophet Joseph Smith predicted the end of the world in 1891.
Kirtland, February 14, 1835 - President Smith then
stated that the meeting had been called, because God had commanded it; and it
was made known to him by vision and by the Holy Spirit. He then gave a
relation of some of the circumstances attending while journeying to Zion—our
trials, sufferings; and said God had not designed all this for nothing, but He
had it in remembrance yet; and it was the will of God that those who went
Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be
ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time,
or the coming of the Lord, which was nigh—even fifty-six years should wind up
the scene. History of the Church 2:182.
They, the
apostles, were told to expect persecution, not only at the hands of
irresponsible individuals, but at the instance of the officials such as they
who were at that moment intent on taking the life of the Lord Himself, and who
would scourge them in the synagogs, deliver them up to hostile tribunals, cite
them before rulers and kings, and even put some of them to death—all because of
their testimony of the Christ. As they had been promised before, so again were they
assured, that when they would stand before councils, magistrates, or kings, the
words they should speak would be given them in the hour of their trial, and
therefore they were told to take no premeditative thought as to what they
should say or how they should meet the issues confronting them; “for,” said the
Master, “it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.” Even though they found
themselves despised and hated of men, and though they were to suffer ignominy,
torture, and death, yet as to their eternal welfare they were promised such
security that by comparison they would lose not so much as a hair of their
heads. In consoling encouragement the Lord bade them possess their souls in
patience. In face of all trials and even the direst persecution, it was
incumbent upon them to persevere in their ministry, for the divine plan
provided and required that the gospel of the kingdom be preached amongst all
nations. Their labors would be complicated and opposed by the revolutionary
propaganda of many false prophets, and differences of creed would disrupt
families, and engender such bitterness that brothers would betray one another,
and children would rise against their parents, accusing them of heresies and
delivering them up to death. Even among those who had professed discipleship to
Christ many would be offended and hatred would abound; love for the gospel
would wax cold, and iniquity would be rampant among men; and only those who
would endure to the end of their lives could be saved.
Note: In
the last days perilous times will come.
But know this, that in the
last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without
self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty,
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness
but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 2 Timothy
3:1-5
From this
circumstantial forecast of conditions then directly impending, the Lord passed
to other developments that would immediately precede the destruction of
Jerusalem and the total disruption of the Jewish nation. “When ye therefore
shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand
in the holy place,” said He, according to Matthew’s account, and virtually so
also as stated by Mark, or “when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies”
as Luke writes, “then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” This was a
specific sign that none could misunderstand. Daniel the prophet had foreseen
the desolation and the abominations thereof, which comprized the forcible
cessation of temple rites, and the desecration of Israel’s shrine by pagan
conquerors.
Note: Jesus
Christ warned believers about false LDS prophets.
Then many false prophets will
rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the
love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be
saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all
the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew
24:11-14
The
realization of Daniel’s prophetic vision was to be heralded by the encompassing
of Jerusalem by armies. Then all who would escape should make haste; from Judea
they should flee to the mountains; he who was on the housetop would have no
time to take his goods, but should hasten down by the outer steps and flee; he
who was in the field would better leave without first returning to his house
even for his clothes. Terrible, indeed, would that day be for women hampered by
the conditions incident to approaching maternity, or the responsibility of
caring for their suckling babes. All would do well to pray that their flight be
not forced upon them in winter time; nor on the Sabbath, lest regard for the
restrictions as to Sabbath-day travel, or the usual closing of the city gates
on that day, should diminish the chances of escape. The tribulations of the
time then foreshadowed would prove to be unprecedented in horror and would
never be paralleled in all their awful details in Israel’s history; but in
mercy God had decreed that the dreadful period should be shortened for the sake
of the elect believers, otherwise no flesh of Israel would be saved alive. Multitudes
were to fall by the sword; other hosts were to be led away captive, and so be
scattered amongst all nations; and Jerusalem, the pride and boast of degenerate
Israel, should be “trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the
Gentiles be fulfilled.” In every frightful detail was the Lord’s prediction
brought to pass, as history avouches.
Note:
Apostle Paul warned believers about false LDS prophets.
Now, brethren, concerning the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask
you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by
word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had
come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not
come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is
revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts
himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he
sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 2
Thessalonians 2:1-4
After the
passing of those terrible times, and thence onward for a period of unspecified
duration, Satan would deceive the world through false doctrines, spread by evil
men masquerading as ministers of God, who would continue to cry “Lo, here is
Christ; or, lo, he is there”; but against all such the Twelve were put on their
guard, and through them and other teachers, whom they would call and ordain,
would the world be warned. Deceiving prophets, emissaries of the devil, would
be active, some alluring people into the deserts, and impelling them to hermit
lives of pernicious asceticism, others insisting that Christ could be found in
the secret chambers of monastic seclusion; and some of them showing forth
through the power of Satan, such signs and wonders as “to seduce, if it were
possible, even the elect”; but of all such scheming of the prince of evil, the
Lord admonished His own: “Believe it not”; and added, “take ye heed; behold I
have foretold you all things.”
Note: The
son of perdition will rule for three and a half years in Jerusalem.
He shall
speak pompous words against the Most High,
shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to
change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for
a time and times and half a time. Daniel 7:25
In the day
of the Lord’s advent in glory and vengeance, no man shall be in doubt; there
shall be no chance of conflicting claims by contending sects, “For as the
lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also
the coming of the Son of man be.” The gathering of Israel in the last days
was pictured as the flocking of eagles to the place where the body of the
Church would be established.
Note: The
son of perdition and his armies will be gathered at Armageddon for destruction.
And I saw the beast, the kings of
the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat
on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with
him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived
those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his
image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with
brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded
from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were
filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:19-21
The
chronological order of the predicted occurrences so far considered in this
wonderful discourse on things to come, is clear; first there was to be a period
of virulent persecution of the apostles and the Church of which they would be
in charge; then the destruction of Jerusalem, with all the horrors of merciless
warfare was to follow; and this in turn was to be succeeded by a long period of
priestcraft and apostasy with bitter sectarian dissension and cruel persecution
of the righteous. The brief reference to the nonlocalized, universal phenomena,
by which His advent is to be signalized, is a parenthetical demonstration of
the false claims as to where Christ would be found; later the Lord passed to
distinctive and unquestionable reference to the circumstances of His then and
yet future advent. Following the age of man-made creeds, and unauthorized
ministry characteristic of the great apostasy, marvelous occurrences are to be
manifested through the forces of nature, and the sign of the Son of Man shall
ultimately appear, one accompanying feature of which shall be the completion of
the gathering of the elect from all parts of the earth to the places appointed.
Note: The
LDS church has apostasied from the words of Jesus Christ.
Simon Peter answered and
said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and
said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood
has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in
heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this
rock (confession) I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall
not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:16-18
Note: There will never be a complete
apostasy during the Church-age.
The duty
that Jesus enjoined upon the apostles as of first importance throughout all the
coming scenes of sorrow, suffering and turmoil, was that of vigilance. They
were to pray, watch, and work, diligently and with unwavering faith. The lesson
was illustrated by a masterly analogy, which, under the broadest
classification, may be called a parable. Directing their attention to the fig
tree and other trees which flourished on the sunny slopes of Olivet, the Master
said: “Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye
see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise
ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is
nigh at hand.” Of the fig tree in particular the Lord remarked: “When his
branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh.”
This sign of events near at hand was equally applicable to the premonitory
conditions which were to herald the fall of Jerusalem and the termination of
the Jewish autonomy, and to the developments by which the Lord’s second advent
shall be immediately preceded.
Note:
Believers will be protected from the wrath of God.
Because you have kept My command to
persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come
upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the
earth. Revelation 3:10
The next
declaration in the order of the evangelical record reads: “Verily I say unto
you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” This
may be understood as applying to the generation in which the portentous
happenings before described would be realized. So far as the predictions
related to the overthrow of Jerusalem, they were literally fulfilled within the
natural lifetime of several of the apostles and of multitudes of their
contemporaries; such of the Lord’s prophecies as pertain to the heralding of
His second coming are to be brought to pass within the duration of the
generation of some who witness the inauguration of their fulfilment. The
certainty of fulfilment was emphasized by the Lord in the profound affirmation:
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
Note: The LDS
church has misinterpreted the words of Jesus Christ.
Then Peter, turning around, saw the
disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His
breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays
You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord,
what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he
remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” Then
this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus
did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain
till I come, what is that to you?” This is the disciple
who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that
his testimony is true. John 21:20-24
All
speculation concerning the time of the Lord’s appearing, whether based on
assumption, deduction, or calculation of dates, was forestalled by Christ’s
averment: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels
which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” That His advent in power
and glory is to be sudden and unexpected to the unobserving and sinful world,
but in immediate sequence to the signs which the vigilant and devout may read
and understand, was made plain by comparison with the prevailing social
conditions of Noah’s time, when in spite of prophecy and warning the people had
continued in their feasting and merry-making, in marrying and giving in
marriage, until the very day of Noah’s entrance into the ark, “And knew not
until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the
Son of man be.”
Note:
Believers will anticipate the return of Jesus Christ.
And let us consider one another in
order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one
another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews
10:24-25
In the last
stages of the gathering of the elect, the ties of companionship shall be
quickly severed; of two men laboring in the field, or of two women engaged side
by side in household duties, the faithful one shall be taken and the sinner
left. “Watch therefore,” was the solemn behest, “for ye know not what hour your
Lord doth come.” In explication of this admonishment, the Lord condescended to
compare the suddenness and secrecy of His coming to the movements of a
night-prowling thief; and pointed out, that if a householder had certain
knowledge as to the time of a burglar’s predetermined visit, he would remain on
vigilant watch; but because of uncertainty he may be found off his guard, and
the thief may enter and despoil the home.
Note: The
LDS church has apostasied from the words of Jesus Christ.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in
heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see
the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matthew 24:31
Again
likening the apostles to duly appointed stewards in a great household, the
Lord spoke of Himself as the householder, saying: “The Son of man is as a man
taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants,
and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye
therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at
midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he
find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” But if the
steward grow negligent because of his master’s long absence, and give himself
up to feasting and unlicensed pleasure, or become autocratic and unjust toward
his fellow-servants, his lord shall come in an hour when least expected, and
shall consign that wicked servant to a place among the hypocrites, where he
shall weep bitter tears of remorse, and gnash his teeth in impotent despair.
Note:
Believers will be focused on Jesus Christ not false prophets.
Therefore,
we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the
sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before
Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of
the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
The Need of
Watchfulness and Diligence Illustrated by Parables
To more
indelibly impress upon the apostles, and, through their subsequent ministry,
upon the world, the absolute need of unceasing watchfulness and unwavering
diligence in preparation for the coming of the Lord in judgment, Jesus depicted
in parables the prospective condition of mankind in the last times. The first
of these illustrative portrayals is the Parable of the Ten Virgins. The
only report of it we have is that given by Matthew, as follows: “Then
shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their
lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and
five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil
with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the
bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a
cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those
virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise,
Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying,
Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that
sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came;
and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was
shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man
cometh.”
Note:
Believers are anointed with the Holy Spirit and ready to meet Jesus Christ.
Then Samuel
took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers;
and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day
forward. 1 Samuel 16:13
The story itself
is based on oriental marriage customs, with which the Lord’s attentive
listeners were familiar. It was and yet is common in those lands, particularly
in connection with marriage festivities among the wealthy classes, for the
bridegroom to go to the home of the bride, accompanied by his friends in
processional array, and later to conduct the bride to her new home with a
larger body of attendants composed of groomsmen, bridesmaids, relatives and
friends. As the bridal party progressed, to the accompaniment of gladsome
music, it was increased by little groups who had gathered in waiting at
convenient places along the route, and particularly near the end of the course
where organized companies came forth to meet the advancing procession. Wedding
ceremonies were appointed for the evening and night hours; and the necessary
use of torches and lamps gave brilliancy and added beauty to the scene.
Note:
Believers are anointed with the Holy Spirit and ready to meet Jesus Christ.
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to
the poor; He has sent Me to heal the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance
of our God;” Isaiah 61:1-2
In the
parable ten maidens were waiting to welcome and join in with the bridal
company, the time of whose arrival was uncertain. Each had her lamp attached to
the end of a rod so as to be held aloft in the festal march; but of the ten
virgins five had wisely carried an extra supply of oil, while the other five,
probably counting on no great delay, or assuming that they would be able to
borrow from others, or perchance having negligently given no thought at all to
the matter, had no oil except the one filling with which their lamps had been
supplied at starting. The bridegroom tarried, and the waiting maidens grew
drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, the forerunners of the marriage party
loudly proclaimed the bridegroom’s approach, and cried in haste: “Go ye out to
meet him.” The ten maidens, no longer sleepy, but eagerly active, set to work
to trim their lamps; then the wise ones found use for the oil in their flasks,
while the thoughtless five bewailed their destitute condition, for their lamps
were empty and they had no oil for replenishment. They appealed to their wiser
sisters, asking a share of their oil; but these declined; for, in a time of
such exigency, to give of their store would have been to render themselves
unfit, inasmuch as there was oil enough for their own lamps only. Instead of
oil they could impart only advice to their unfortunate sisters, whom they
directed to go to the nearest shop and buy for themselves. While the foolish
virgins were away in quest of oil, the wedding party passed into the house
wherein the feast was provided, and the door was shut against all tardy comers.
In time the unwise maidens, too late to participate in the processional entry,
called from without, pleading for admittance; but the bridegroom refused their
request, and disclaimed all acquaintanceship with them, since they had not been
numbered among his attendants or those of the bride.
Note:
Believers are anointed with the Holy Spirit and ready to meet Jesus Christ.
Now He who
establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts
as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
The
Bridegroom is the Lord Jesus; the marriage feast symbolizes His coming in
glory, to receive unto Himself the Church on earth as His bride. The
virgins typify those who profess a belief in Christ, and who, therefore,
confidently expect to be included among the blessed participants at the feast.
The lighted lamp, which each of the maidens carried, is the outward profession
of Christian belief and practice; and in the oil reserves of the wiser ones we
may see the spiritual strength and abundance which diligence and devotion in
God’s service alone can insure. The lack of sufficient oil on the part of the
unwise virgins is analogous to the dearth of soil in the stony field, wherein
the seed readily sprouted but soon withered away. The Bridegroom’s coming
was sudden; yet the waiting virgins were not held blamable for their surprise
at the abrupt announcement, but the unwise five suffered the natural results of
their unpreparedness. The refusal of the wise virgins to give of their oil at
such a critical time must not be regarded as uncharitable; the circumstance
typifies the fact that in the day of judgment every soul must answer for
himself; there is no way by which the righteousness of one can be credited to
another’s account; the doctrine of supererogation is wholly false. The
Bridegroom’s condemnatory disclaimer, “I know you not,” was equivalent to a
declaration that the imploring but neglectful ones, who had been found unready
and unprepared, did not know Him.
Note:
Believers are anointed with the Holy Spirit and ready to meet Jesus Christ.
In Him you
also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also,
having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:13-14
The
application of the parable and its wealth of splendid suggestion are summarized
in a masterly manner by the Lord’s impressive adjuration: “Watch therefore, for
ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” The
fulfilment of the predictions enshrined in this precious parable is yet future,
but near. In 1831 the Lord Jesus Christ revealed anew the indications by which
the imminence of His glorious advent may be perceived. Through the mouth of His
prophet Joseph Smith he thus spake: “And at that day, when I shall come in my
glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins:
for they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy
Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived; verily I say unto you, they
shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day, and the
earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and
wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation, for
the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will
be their King and their Lawgiver.”
Note:
Believers are focused on Jesus Christ not false prophets.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall
send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
He will testify of Me.” John 15:26
Still
discoursing in solemn earnestness to the apostles as the evening shadows
gathered about the Mount of Olives, the Lord delivered the last of His recorded
parables. We call it the Parable of the Entrusted
Talents. “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a
far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every
man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he
that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them
other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other
two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his
lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and
reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought
other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents:
behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him,
Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things,
I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst
unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His
lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou
into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and
said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not
sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and
hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord
answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that
I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest
therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I
should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him,
and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall
be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be
taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into
outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Note: False
servants will not love Jesus Christ.
“Then he
who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard
man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not
scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.
Look, there you have what is yours.’” Matthew 25:24-25
Some of the
resemblances between this parable and that of the Pounds appear on even a
casual reading; significant differences are discovered by comparison and study.
The earlier parable was spoken to a mixed multitude in the course of our Lord’s
last journey from Jericho to Jerusalem; the later one was given in privacy to
the most intimate of His disciples in the closing hours of the last day of His
public preaching. The two should be studied together. In the story of the
Pounds, an equal amount of capital is given to each of the servants, and men’s
diverse ability to use and apply, with commensurate results in reward or
penalty, is demonstrated; in that of the Entrusted Talents, the servants
receive different amounts, “every man according to his several ability”; and
equal diligence, though shown in one instance by great gain and in the other by
small but proportionate increase, is equally rewarded. Unfaithfulness and
negligence are condemned and punished in both.
Note: True
servants will love Jesus Christ.
Jesus said to them, “If God were your
Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God;
nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.” John 8:42
In the
parable now under consideration, the master is presented as delivering his
wealth into the hands of his own servants, literally, bondservants; they,
as well as the possessions held by them in trust, were his. Those servants had
no rights of actual ownership, nor title of permanent proprietorship in the
treasure committed to their care; all they had, the time and opportunity to use
their talents, and they themselves, belonged to their lord. We cannot fail to
perceive even in the early incidents of the story that the Master of the
servants was the Lord Jesus; the servants, therefore, were the disciples and
more particularly the apostles, who, while of equal authority through ordination
in the Holy Priesthood, as specifically illustrated by the earlier parable of
the Pounds, were of varied ability, of diverse personality, and unequal
generally in nature and in such accomplishments as would be called into service
throughout their ministry. The Lord was about to depart; He would return only
“after a long time”; the significance of this latter circumstance is in line
with that expressed through the parable of the Ten Virgins in the statement
that the Bridegroom tarried.
Note: True
servants will love Jesus Christ.
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone
loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will
come to him and make Our home with him.” John 14:23
At the time
of reckoning, the servants who had done well, the one with his five talents,
the other with his two, reported gladly, conscious as they were of having at
least striven to do their best. The unfaithful servant prefaced his report with
a grumbling excuse, which involved the imputation of unrighteousness in the
Master. The honest, diligent, faithful servants saw and reverenced in their
Lord the perfection of the good qualities which they possessed in measured
degree; the lazy and unprofitable serf, afflicted by distorted vision,
professed to see in the Master his own base defects. The story in this
particular, as in the other features relating to human acts and tendencies, is
psychologically true; in a peculiar sense men are prone to conceive of the
attributes of God as comprizing in augmented degree the dominant traits of
their own nature.
Note: True
servants will love Jesus Christ.
So when they had eaten breakfast,
Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you
love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love
You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second
time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said
to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend
My sheep.” He said to him the third
time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter
was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And
he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” John 21:15-17
Both the
servant who had been entrusted with five talents and he who had received but
two were equally commended, and, as far as we are told, were equally
recompensed. The talents bestowed upon each were the gift of his Lord, who knew
well whether that servant was capable of using to better advantage one, two, or
five. Let no one conclude that good work of relatively small scope is less
necessary or acceptable than like service of wider range. Many a man who has
succeeded well in business with small capital would have failed in the
administration of vast sums; so also in spiritual achievements “there are
diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.” Of the man endowed with many
talents greater returns were expected; of the one-talented man relatively
little was required, yet in that little he failed. At the least he could
have delivered the money to the bank, through which it would have been kept in
circulation to the benefit of the community, and would have earned interest
meanwhile. Likewise, in the spiritual application, a man possessed of any good
gift, such as musical ability, eloquence, skill in handicraft, or the like,
ought to use that gift to the full, that he or others may be profited thereby;
but should he be too neglectful to exercise his powers in independent service,
he may assist others to profitable effort, by encouragement if by nothing more.
Note: True
servants will love Jesus Christ.
If anyone does not love the
Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 1 Corinthians 16:22-23
Who can doubt
in the spirit of the Lord’s teaching, that had the man been able to report the
doubling of his single talent, he would have been as cordially commended and as
richly recompensed as were his more highly endowed and faithful fellows? It is
notable that to the charge of unrighteousness made by the unfaithful servant,
the Lord deigns no refutation; the spirit of the reply was the same as that
expressed in the earlier parable: “Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee,
thou wicked servant.” The unworthy man sought to excuse himself by the
despicable but all too common subterfuge of presumptuously charging culpability
in another, and in this instance, that other was his Lord. Talents are not
given to be buried, and then to be dug up and offered back unimproved, reeking
with the smell of earth and dulled by the corrosion of disuse. The unused
talent was justly taken from him who had counted it as of so little worth, and
was given to one, who, although possessing much, would use the additional gift
to his own profit, to the betterment of his fellows, and to the glory of his
Lord.
Note: True
servants will love Jesus Christ.
Peace to
the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Ephesians 6:23-24
The
Inevitable Judgment
The Lord
had uttered His last parable. In words of plainness, though suffused with the
beauty of effective simile, He impressed upon the listening disciples the
certainty of judgment by which the world shall be visited in the day of His
appearing. Then shall the wheat be segregated from the tares, and the
sheep divided from the goats. “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and
all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set
the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” Unto those on His
right hand the King shall give commendation and blessing, bestowing a rich
recompense for their good works, as attested by the hungry they had fed, the
thirsty to whom they had given drink, the stranger they had lodged, the naked
they had clothed, the sick to whom they had ministered, the prisoners they had
visited and encouraged, all of which mercies are accredited to them as having
been rendered to their Lord in person. The blessed company, overwhelmed by the
plenitude of the King’s bounty, of which they regard themselves as undeserving,
will fain disclaim the merit attributed to them; “And the King shall answer and
say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of
the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Note: True
servants will want to help people.
For by
grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in
them. Ephesians 2:8-10
Unto them
who wait on the left in terrified expectancy, the King shall recount their
several deficiencies, in that they had given Him neither food nor drink,
shelter nor clothing despite His need; neither had they visited Him though ill,
nor ministered unto His wants when He lay in a prison cell. In the desperation
of anguish these shall ask when and where they had had such opportunity of
comforting Him, and He shall answer, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did
it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” The righteous shall
be welcomed with “Come ye blessed of my Father”; the wicked shall hear the
awful sentence, “Depart from me ye cursed.” Eternal life is the inestimable
reward; everlasting punishment the unfathomable doom.
Note: True
servants will want to help people.
Command
those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in
uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good
works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good
foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 1
Timothy 6:17-19
Viewing as
one discourse the two parables and the teaching that directly followed, we find
in it such unity of subject and thoroughness of treatment as to give to the
whole both beauty and worth beyond the sum of these qualities exhibited in the
several parts. Vigilant waiting in the Lord’s cause, and the dangers of
unreadiness are exemplified in the story of the virgins; diligence in work and
the calamitous results of sloth are prominent features of the tale of the
talents. These two phases of service are of reciprocal and complementary
import; it is as necessary at times to wait as at others to work. The lapse of
a long period, as while the Bridegroom tarried, and as during the Master’s
absence in “a far country,” is made plain throughout as intervening
between the Lord’s departure and His return in glory. The absolute certainty of
the Christ coming to execute judgment upon the earth, in the which every soul
shall receive according to his deserts, is the sublime summary of this
unparalleled discourse.
Note: True
servants will want to help people.
For the grace of God that brings
salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly
in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our
great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He
might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for
good works. Titus 2:11-14
Another
Specific Prediction of the Lord’s Death
Following
the instructions to the apostles at the resting place on Olivet, and probably
in the course of the continued walk toward Bethany that evening, Jesus reminded
the Twelve of the awful fate awaiting Him, and specified the time of His
betrayal and the manner of His death. “Ye know,” He said, “that after two days
is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.”
Note: It
was Monday evening with the Feast of Unleavened Bread beginning on Wednesday
evening at dusk.
Then he took it down, wrapped it in
linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one
had ever lain before. That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath
drew near. Luke 23:53-54
Note: Jesus Christ was crucified on the
Preparation Day or the day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Notes to
Chapter 32
1.
Early Fulfilment of the Lord’s Prophecies.—As to the literal fulfilment of the Lord’s predictions
relating to the times immediately following His ascension and down to the
destruction of Jerusalem, the student must be referred to scriptural and other
history. Only a brief summary of the most notable events can be attempted here.
On the
matter of wars and rumors or threats of wars, see Josephus, Antiquities, xviii, ch. 9, and Wars, ii, ch. 10. The latter reference is to the
account of the decree issued by Caligula that his statue be set up and duly
reverenced in the temple, in consequence of which the Jews protested so
strenuously that war was declared against them, but was averted by the death of
the emperor. Concerning the death of Caligula, Josephus remarks that it
“happened most happily for our nation in particular, which would have almost
utterly perished, if he had not been suddenly slain.” Other threats of war
against the Jews were severally made by the emperors Claudius and Nero.
Nation rose
against nation, as for example, in the assault of Greeks and Syrians upon the
Jews, in the course of which 50,000 Jews were slain at Selucia on the Tigris,
and 20,000 at Cęsarea, 13,000 at Scythopolis, and 2,500 at Ascalon. Famine and
its attendant pestilence prevailed during the reign of Claudius, (A.D. 41–54) and such had been specifically predicted
by inspiration, through Agabus (Acts 11:28). The famine was
very severe in Palestine (Josephus, Antiquities, xx,
ch. 2). Earthquakes were of alarming frequency and of unusual severity, between
the death of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem, particularly in Syria,
Macedonia, Campania, and Achia. See Tacitus, Annals, books
xii and xiv; and for account of violent seismic disturbances at Rome, see
Suetonius in his Life of Galba. Josephus (Wars, iv, ch. 4) records a particularly severe
earthquake that disrupted parts of Judea, and was accompanied by “amazing
concussions and bellowings of the earth—a manifest indication that some
destruction was coming upon men.” The portent of “fearful sights and great
signs” from heaven, as recorded by Luke was realized in the phenomenal events
chronicled by Josephus (Preface to Wars).
Of the
persecution that befell the apostles and others, and of their arraignment
before rulers, Dr. Adam Clarke, in his commentary on passages in Matthew 24, says: “We need go
no farther than the Acts of the Apostles for the completion of these
particulars. Some were delivered to councils, as Peter and John (Acts 4:5). Some were brought
before rulers and kings, as Paul before Gallio (18:12); before Felix (ch. 24); before Festus and Agrippa (ch. 25). Some had utterance and wisdom which their
adversaries were not able to resist; so Stephen (6:10), and Paul who made even
Felix himself tremble (24:25). Some were imprisoned,
as Peter and John (4:3). Some were beaten, as
Paul and Silas (16:23). Some were put to
death, as Stephen (7:59); and James the brother
of John (12:2). But if we look beyond
the book of the Acts of the Apostles, to the bloody persecutions under Nero, we
shall find these predictions still more amply fulfilled; in these, numberless
Christians fell, besides those two champions of the faith, Peter and Paul. And
it was, as says Tertullian, a war against the very name of Christ; for he who
was called Christian had committed crime enough in bearing the name to be put
to death. So true were our Savior’s words that they should be hated of all men
for His Name’s sake.”
Among the
false prophets, and men who claimed to be the duly accredited ministers of
Christ, were Simon Magus who drew many people after him (Acts 8:9, 13, 18–24; see
also The Great Apostasy, 7:1, 2), Menander, Dositheus,
and Theudas, and the false apostles referred to by Paul (2 Corinthians 11:13) and
others, such as Hymeneus and Philetus (2 Timothy 2:17, 18).
Dummelow’s Commentary applies here the
record by Josephus concerning “a body of wicked men, who deceived and deluded
the people under pretense of divine inspiration, who prevailed with the
multitude to act like madmen, and went before them into the wilderness,
pretending that God would there show them the signals of victory.”
Compare 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 2:18; 4:1. That the love of many
did wax cold, both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem, is attested
by the facts of the world-wide apostasy, which was the result of corruption
within and persecution from without the Church (see The Great Apostasy, chapters 3–9).
The
preaching of the gospel of the kingdom “in all the world” was no less truly an
essential characteristic of the apostolic period than it is of the current or
last dispensation. The rapid spread of the gospel and the phenomenal growth of
the Church under the direction of the apostles of old, is recorded as one of
the marvels of history (Great Apostasy, 1:21,
and citation of Eusebius). Paul, writing about thirty years after Christ’s
ascension, affirms that the gospel had already been carried to every nation,
and “preached to every creature under heaven” (Colossians 1:23,
compare verse 6).
The
“abomination of desolation” cited by the Lord from the prophecy by Daniel was
strictly fulfilled in the investment of Jerusalem by the Roman army
(compare Luke 21:20, 21). To the Jews
the ensigns and images of the Romans were a disgusting abomination. Josephus (Wars,vi, ch. 6) states that the Roman ensigns were set
up inside the temple and that the soldiery offered sacrifices before them.
The warning
to all to flee from Jerusalem and Judea to the mountains when the armies would
begin to surround the city was so generally heeded by members of the Church,
that according to the early Church writers not one Christian perished in the
awful siege (see Eusebius, Eccles. Hist., book
iii, ch. 5). The first siege by Gallus was unexpectedly raised, and then,
before the armies of Vespasian arrived at the walls, all Jews who had faith in
the warning given by Christ to the apostles, and by these to the people, fled
beyond Jordan, and congregated mostly at Pella (compare Josephus, Wars, ii, ch. 19).
As to the
unprecedented horrors of the siege, which culminated in the utter destruction
of Jerusalem and the temple, see Josephus, Wars, vi,
chaps., 3 and 4. That historian estimates the number slain in Jerusalem alone
as 1,100,000 and in other cities and rural parts a third as many more. For
details see Josephus, Wars, ii,
chaps. 18, 20; iii, 2, 7, 8, 9; iv, 1, 2, 7, 8, 9; vii, 6, 9, 11. Many tens of
thousands were taken captive, to be afterward sold into slavery, or to be slain
by wild beasts, or in gladiatorial combat in the arena for the amusement of
Roman spectators.
In the
course of the siege, a wall was constructed about the entire city, thus
fulfilling the Lord’s prediction (Luke 19:43), “thine enemies
shall cast a trench about thee,” in which, by the admittedly better
translation, “bank,” or “palisade” should appear instead of “trench.” In
September A.D. 70 the city fell into the hands of the Romans;
and its destruction was afterward made so thorough that its site was plowed up.
Jerusalem was “trodden down of the Gentiles,” and ever since has been under
Gentile dominion, and so shall continue to be “until the times of the Gentiles
be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24.)
2.
In the Deserts and in Secret Chambers.—The 24th chapter
of Matthew, and its parallel scriptures in Mark 13 and Luke 21, may be the more
easily understood if we bear in mind that the Lord therein speaks of two
distinct events, each a consummation of long ages of preparation, and the first
a prototype of the second. Many of the specific predictions are applicable both
to the time preceding or at the destruction of Jerusalem, and to developments
of succeeding time down to the second coming of Christ. The passage in Matthew 24:26 may be
given this two-fold application. Josephus tells of men leading others away into
the desert, saying under pretended inspiration that there should they find God;
and the same historian mentions a false prophet who led many into the secret
chambers of the temple during the Roman assault, promising them that there
would the Lord give them deliverance. Men, women, and children followed this
fanatical leader, and were caught in the holocaust of destruction, so that
6,000 of them perished in the flames (Josephus, Wars, vi,
ch. 5). Concerning an application of the Lord’s precepts to later times and
conditions, the author has elsewhere written (The Great Apostasy, 7:22–25):
One of the heresies of early origin and rapid growth in the Church was the
doctrine of antagonism between body and spirit, whereby the former was regarded
as an incubus and a curse. From what has been said this will be recognized as
one of the perversions derived from the alliance of Gnosticism with
Christianity. A result of this grafting in of heathen doctrines was an abundant
growth of hermit practices, by which men sought to weaken, torture, and subdue
their bodies, that their spirits or “souls” might gain greater freedom. Many
who adopted this unnatural view of human existence retired to the solitude of
the desert, and there spent their time in practices of stern self-denial and in
acts of frenzied self-torture. Others shut themselves up as voluntary
prisoners, seeking glory in privation and self-imposed penance. It was this
unnatural view of life that gave rise to the several orders of recluses,
hermits, and monks.
Think you
not that the Savior had such practices in mind, when, warning the disciples of
the false claims to sanctity that would characterize the times then soon to
follow, He said: “Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold he [Christ] is
in the desert, go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it
not”?
3.
The Time of Christ’s Advent Not Known.—The Lord’s statement that the time of His advent in glory
was unknown to man, and that the angels knew it not, “neither the Son,” but
that it was known to the Father only, appears plain and unambiguous,
notwithstanding many and conflicting commentaries thereon. Jesus repeatedly
affirmed that His mission was to do the will of the Father; and it is evident
that the Father’s will was revealed to Him from time to time. While in the
flesh He laid no claim to omniscience; though whatever He willed to know He
learned through the medium of communication with the Father. Christ had not
asked to know what the Father had not intimated His readiness to reveal, which,
in this instance, was the day and hour of the Son’s appointed return to earth
as a glorified, resurrected Being. We need not hesitate to believe that at the
time Jesus delivered to the apostles the discourse under consideration, He was
uninformed on the matter; for He so states. In the last interview between
Christ and the apostles immediately before His ascension (Acts 1:6, 7) they asked,
“Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said
unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father
hath put in his own power.” Nor has the date of the Messianic consummation been
since revealed to any man; though even now, the fig tree is rapidly putting
forth its leaves, and he who hath eyes to see and a heart to understand knows
that the summer of the Lord’s purpose is near at hand.
4.
The False Doctrine of Supererogation.—Among the pernicious fallacies promulgated as authorized
dogmas by the apostate church during the long period of spiritual darkness
following the close of the apostolic ministry, was the awful enormity known as
the doctrine of supererogation. As stated by Mosheim (Eccl. Hist.Cent. xii, part ii, ch.
3:4) the dreadful doctrine was formulated in the thirteenth century as follows:
“That there actually existed an immense treasure of merit, composed of the pious deeds and virtuous actions
which the saints had performed beyond what was necessary for
their own salvation, and which were therefore applicable to the
benefit of others; that the guardian and dispenser of this precious treasure
was the Roman pontiff, and that of consequence he was empowered to assign to such
as he thought proper a portion of this inexhaustible source of merit, suitable
to their respective guilt, and sufficient to deliver them from the punishment
due to their crimes.” Concerning the fallacy of this doctrine the author has
written (The Great Apostasy, 9:15), in this wise: “This
doctrine of supererogation is as unreasonable as it is unscriptural and untrue.
Man’s individual responsibility for his acts is as surely a fact as is his
agency to act for himself. He will be saved through the merits and by the
atoning sacrifice of our Redeemer and Lord; and his claim upon the salvation
provided is strictly dependent on his compliance with the principles and
ordinances of the gospel as established by Jesus Christ. Remission of sins and
the eventual salvation of the human soul are provided for; but these gifts of
God are not to be purchased with money. Compare the awful fallacies of
supererogation and the blasphemous practice of assuming to remit the sins of
one man in consideration of the merits of another, with the declaration of the
one and only Savior of mankind: ‘But I say unto you that every idle word that
men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment.’”
If conclusions as to doctrine may be drawn from our Lord’s parables, the
parable of the Ten Virgins affords refutation of the Satanic suggestion that
one man’s sin may be neutralized by another’s righteousness. We know no
supererogation but that of the Lord Jesus Christ, through whose merits
salvation is placed within the reach of all men.
5.
“This Generation.”—Consult any reliable unabridged
dictionary of the English language for evidence of the fact that the term
“generation,” as connoting a period of time, has many meanings, among which are
“race, kind, class.” The term is not confined to a body of people living at one
time. Fausett’s Bible Cyclopedia, Critical and Expository, after
citing many meanings attached to the word, says: “In Matthew 24:34 ‘this
generation shall not pass (viz. the Jewish race, of which the generation in
Christ’s days was a sample in character: compare Christ’s address to the
“generation,” 23:35, 36, in proof that
“generation” means at times the whole Jewish race) till all these things be
fulfilled’—a prophecy that the Jews shall be a distinct people still when He
shall come again.”