This is the Truth Network. Is it significant that the warning parable of the ten bridesmaids is followed immediately by another parable clearly describing the judgment seat of Christ?
Well, stay with us, listen, and learn. You're listening to Until He Comes, a blend of prophetic and practical biblical studies with Dr. Greg Hinnant, author of The Second Coming of Christ, His Appearing, His Return, Our Preparation. And now, author and teacher Greg Hinnant. Welcome to the broadcast, my friend.
Today I'm excited about continuing our study of the ten bridesmaids.
Now, we're going to begin this study by asking a question. Is it significant? That this warning parable of the ten bridesmaids is followed immediately by another parable in Matthew's Gospel, which clearly describes. the judgment seat of Christ. That is Was this ordering intentional by the Holy Spirit or was it...
Just a coincidence.
Well I will give you an emphatic answer. Yes, it is intentional. The Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to write this passage in this precise order where Jesus was giving his. Information, his prophecies, and his warnings about the end times and about his return. There's no question about it.
This order, this connection, is intentional. It is a divine arrangement. for this reason, Jesus' judgment seat will follow After the rapture. His own words in the book of Revelation show us this.
Now, this is the passage of the end of Revelation, it's Jesus' last words. And he said, Behold, I come quickly. And my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
So here he's connecting his coming with his reward. Behold, I come. and my reward. A come and my reward is with me.
So this is clearly announcing to us, right from the lips of Jesus, That when he comes He's going to bring his rewards with him. And so that means when we go to heaven, we'll be taken up to heaven. The first thing that happens up there. Or one of the first will be, we will be examined for our life works and rewarded according to those works. And Paul adds in 2 Corinthians 5:10, whether they be good or bad.
Bad, and we'll see that. in just a moment.
So I see that The rapture is in a sense. The first part of the judgment seat of Christ. is the preliminary or introductory phase Of his judgment.
Now, why is this? It's because Christ We'll be looking over his churches. In fact, he looks over his churches all the time. Right now, while you're listening and I'm talking, he's examining the churches. You know, he said to each of the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, I know your works.
So he had been watching them before. He issued this letter through John.
So, Christ is looking over all the churches all the time, and He knows the state of His churches and the individual Christian.
So at the moment of the rapture When the trump sounds, Christ will take unto himself those who are ready. Those who are not ready? will be left behind. Again, Matthew twenty five, verse ten is the definitive statement. They that were ready went in.
with the bridegroom. to the marriage, and the door was shut. And when those who were not ready came and asked permission and asked for grace. In this case, he said no. Nope.
I don't know you well. I'm not intimately associated with you.
So the judgment seat of Christ in a sense begins. With the event of the rapture, Christ will issue a judgment over the condition of individual Christians. And he will decide in that moment. Who is ready and who is not? That is, who is fully prepared for the anticipated event of the rapture, Christ appearing, and who is not.
He will decide who has the extra oil of preparation. That is discussed in Matthew 25. 1 through 13 in our parable of the ten bridesmaids. And who does not have that extra oil? He will decide or judge who is watching expectantly for him, And who is not.
You see, Hebrews 9.28 tells us exactly what we should be doing.
so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many. And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
So the writer to the Hebrews is telling us that. When Christ came the first time, he came to deal with the sin problem. he came to go to the cross. But when he comes a second time, he's coming for those who look for him. And the word look in the Greek is apegdekomai, and it means a very eager, strong.
Expectancy. of something. looking eagerly, looking expectantly.
So it's a very strong word.
So unto those who look for him he will appear. He's coming. for those who are looking for him.
So in that moment, he will render a decision. as to who is watching for him and who is not watching for him. He will also render a decision as to who is living. wisely. seeking biblical wisdom.
And who is not living? Wisely. living by their own carnal reasoning, he will make a decision as to who is worthy. That is, who is prayerful and who is cross-carrying? Because in Matthew 10, Jesus said that if we would not carry our cross, we would not be worthy.
of him and in Luke 21, 36. Jesus said, Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, so that you may be accounted worthy. To escape all these things, that is the things of the tribulation period, and stand before the Son of Man.
So in that context, worthy Means Prayerful. He will decide in that moment who is faithful to him and in their human relationships, and who is not faithful. And he will decide in that moment who is seeking to know him. ever more closely, and who is not seeking to know him? Partially.
Many Christians Do not seek the Lord at home. They do not take the Lord time to be with the Lord. And so he will say to them, I don't know you personally. We don't have a close personal relationship.
So, this is the judgment that will occur in the moment of the rapture. Christ will decide who is ready. Who has extra oil? who is watching, who is wise, who is worthy, who is faithful, who knows him. And who is not doing these things?
Now, if you like some. More information. on these spiritual readiness qualifications. Which come, by the way, straight from the lips of Jesus. He chose these.
specific words in his end time teaching. Illustrate to us. The kind of life we should be living. But if you want more information on these spiritual readiness qualifications, I would encourage you to purchase my book. the second coming of Christ, His appearing, His return And our preparation.
I know it would bless you, and it will give you very specific instructions on how to build these very. qualifications and graces. uh in your life. That will give you rapture assurance. You will know that whenever he comes.
You know your gun. And you can then pass this information on to others in the love of God. And tell them the same thing so they too can be ready for his coming.
Now, let's take a few minutes and read the parable of the talents that follows the parable of the ten bridesmaids, and let's examine Jesus in judgment mode. We see Jesus in various roles in the New Testament. And we do see him in judgment mode there. He did make some judgment and decisions. And we're going to see him, though, when he appears and takes us back to heaven, and it's time for the judgment seat of Christ.
He will be fully in judgment mode.
Now we will read Matthew 25, 14 through 30. This is the parable of the talents. And this is a parabolic prophecy. It is a story. That's telling us exactly, I want to emphasize that word, exactly the way Christ.
Will examine and reward us. Yes, that's exactly the way you're going to see him, and you're going to see Christians who fit into these categories that we will identify now. For the kingdom of heaven, verse 14, is as a man travelling into a far country. Who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods. Christ is the Master who's gone to the far country and he's given us His goods, His gifts, His spiritual gifts to be used.
And then to one he gave five talents. to another two. and to another one. to every man according to his several or various abilities. and straightway he took his journey.
Now we see here That We are given different Gifts.
Some are giving more gifts. Others may have only one gift. But in what we're going to see here, it's vital that we use the gift or gifts that we have. 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.
Now, after a long time, which is the church age, a long time Jesus had been separated from us, He gave us gifts. He left, he's in heaven, and a long time has passed. after a long time the Lord of those servants comes. And he reckons with them. That is, he cause them to account of how they have used what he gave them.
the gifts that he gave them. And so he that had received five five talents came and brought other five talents. Saying, Lord, thou deliverest unto me five talents. Behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
Now, I want to also interject this. The talents, as they've described here, are not gifts. The talents were weights or measurements. of uh precious metals.
So they represent something valuable. Therefore, our grace gifts that are discussed. in of First Corinthians. They are precious and valuable, and when the Lord gives us these spiritual gifts, It's most important that we consider them valuable and put them to use and develop these gifts and hone them and perfect these gifts.
Now, back to our story. 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 deliverest 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 in many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Then he which had received the one talent, came and said, Lord, I knew you.
that you are a hard man. or stern. Reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not strawed. That would also imply unreasonableness. Unreasonableness.
So he is saying that his master is unreasonable. And his master is stern. He's he's insulting him. He's criticising him. He's saying it was your fault.
And he said, I was afraid, and I went and I hid my talent in the earth. Lo, there you have. What is that? His Lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant. Pause and think about that phrase, wicked and slothful.
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Now, again, Dr. Hinnant. This is telling us two things. First, some of God's people are very lazy. and that Jesus considers laziness Wicked.
Pause and think about that. Mm. Wicked. That's a strong term. There are Christians who are living wickedly.
And in Jesus' own opinion, that's what we're reading here. They're wicked because they're not working. God made us to work.
Now if you have physical or psychological or emotional disabilities and truly cannot work. I'm not talking to you. But if we have the ability to work and we're not working, This is terrible. This is terrible. Christ is much displeased by it.
And so in this parable, He's rebuking the man for his slothfulness, thou wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not stalled.
Now, he said this in this way: oh, so you knew. that I would want to reap where I didn't even sow, did you? And then he gives him advice and counsel, shows him what he could have done. Thou oughtest, therefore, to To have put my money to the exchangers. and then at my coming, I should have received mine own with usury or with interest.
So he's saying, Look, if you weren't going to use the talent and invest it And go out into the marketplace, you at least could have given it to the bankers.
so that you would gain some interest and then what you would give me would be more than I gave you.
Well He said then, Take therefore the talent from him. And give it unto him. which has ten Talas. For unto every one that hath, that is, hath gained, Shall be given, or shall be given, more capital or more talents with which to create more gain, more Um profit. and he shall have abundance but from him that has not, or from him that has not invested and gained what he had, Shall be taken away, even that which he has.
So the one who invests his talent. and increases it Receives more. the one who did not use his talent and therefore did not increase it, He had his. Taken away. He adds, And cast ye the unprofitable servant.
Used another term, unprofitable servant. Into outer darkness. Two things here. The unprofitable servant tells us that Christ wants you to be spiritually profitable. He invested, if you will, in you the nature of God.
when you were born again, the Holy Spirit, when you were baptized in the Spirit. and he invested gifts or abilities, natural and spiritual. for you to earn your living on the one hand or edify the church on the other. And um He's very disappointed. that he's not getting the profit from you if you don't use it.
So remember that term, unprofitable servant. Jesus will call many people in that day unprofitable.
Now, if this parable. is intentionally designed In its proportions, It would imply that two out of every three Christians are faithful But one out of every three are in some way unfaithful. whether by laziness or something else.
So he says, Cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is a powerful. Stern judgment. Jesus is going to expel and banish some people from his presence.
Therefore, since he is the central light, being far from him means you are in less light or outer darkness.
Now, I want to point out to you that this is not the outer darkness of hell. If you will look at Matthew 25, 41. In the same context, Jesus said to the goat survivors of the tribulation, He said this, Then shall ye say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed so he calls these goats cursed. He didn't call the unprofitable servant Cursed. Saw he called him wicked, he called him slothful.
But he didn't call him cursed. Cursed here means under damnation. Under damnation. He goes on to say You depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire. We know what that is.
It's presently hell. And hell one day will be turned into the lake of fire. everlasting fire.
So this Goat Survivor, the ones who did not help, the Gentiles who did not help the distressed Jews during the Great Tribulation. When Jesus returned to earth, He has them on his left and he said, Look Get out of here. Leave me. Be gone from my presence. You are cursed.
And then he says, You are going to everlasting fire. And then he said, that fire is prepared for the devil and his angels.
So this. Goat Survivor is not like the unprofitable servant The unprofitable servant is A servant.
Now he's unprofitable. This character is an individual who is never Called on Jesus to save his soul. He is cursed. He is under the Judgment of God, he's going. to spend eternity.
with Satan, who is the master of rebellion and sin. in the like of fire. Oh, it's a very dark statement which Jesus makes here in the same context. that we are dealing with in reading this parable.
Well, let's point out a few truths. About this parable. First of all, There are two kinds of servants, good and faithful. And wickedness lawful. That tells you exactly the condition some Christians are in.
But note, as I said earlier, both are. Servants. of the same master. implying both are Christians. All Christians are servants of the same Master, whether we serve him well or don't serve him at all.
Just notice this also. These terms tell us that to God, as I mentioned earlier, faithfulness is good, and slothfulness, or indolence, and laziness is wicked.
So if you're a parent, don't indulge your child, teach them the value of good hard work.
Now Let's see the rewards that were given to each because Jesus said when he comes His reward will be according to every man's works. We just read that, Revelation 22:12.
Well, let's see it in action here. For the good and faithful servant. This man received, first of all, his lord's approval. He said, Well done My good and faithful servant. Wow, what a reward.
I don't think any reward would be better than having Jesus say to you, well done.
So he had his Lord's approval. for service. And then he also had honor before his peers because it is implied in this story that. When the master returned and reckoned with his servants, they were all gathered together and they all heard his judgment. of each other.
Now, when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, Every Christian will in some way be able to witness Every other Christian's judgment.
So here He's saying that this Honourable Servant, We'll be honored. before his peers. Then he this servant was also promoted to higher office and new authority, and in a great of and a far greater proportion to his previous uh office and field of authority. He had been faithful over a few things, but now he's going to be over. Many things.
Wow.
so his reward was exponentially greater Then your service. That's a wonderful thing. Then this man also received joy. I would say great joy, because when he said, enter into the joy. of thy Lord, and he released him to go into his kingdom.
That would be something that would just make us filled with joy. What a wonderful thing to have that powerful flowing inner gladness. in our soul. Then this servant also received new gifts. Which gifts?
Well, gifts which formerly belonged to the slothful servant. You see, Jesus took those gifts from him. and he gave him to the one who had ten talents.
So now He's got new gifts to use. Because he's shown that he's faithful with the gifts he has. The master has given him more gifts to use. And I see this also in a seasonal change in our lives. If you're serving the Lord faithfully with the talents, that is the valuable.
spiritual gifts you have. then he will change your service at some point. And give you more gifts with which to honor him. Then also, he had the privilege of more access to the Lord. That is, to live in the presence of his master.
He was not. Sent away.
So it's implying that he was with him.
Now, what about the slothful servant?
Well, he received his rewards too. He was disapproved by his Lord. Wicked and slothfully called him. Oh, what a blow! What a hot sword through your.
uh chest. Then he was shamed before his peers. They all heard. when the master called him wicked, and slothful, he was shamed. Then he was demoted to lower office.
because he wouldn't be faithful in the office he held. He lost his gifts. because he wouldn't use them. He was exposed as a liar. He said the reason he didn't invest his talent was because the master was hard and unreasonable.
But the true reason was laziness.
So he was lying to cover his laziness. Then he also was denied access to the Lord's presence. He was sent away from him. He was sent into outer. darkness.
This is the realm of comparative darkness. further away from the Lord our Master, who is the light of the world.
Now, we don't have time to go into that in depth right now, but that's what outer darkness is. We see that in Matthew 22 it is used of a servant who is found at the wedding supper of the Lamb without a proper garment.
Now no man who is unsaved could be there. But he too was cast into outer darkness. And one source that says that that is the darkness which was outside of the well lit. The fully lit. Banquet call.
Now, and how do we know this man was not sent to hell? As I just read to you, we contrast that with the condemnation of the goat sheep. whom Jesus called cursed. And said, would go into everlasting fire with the devil and his angels. He did not say that here of this wicked servant.
All right, and he was also going to weep and gnash his teeth. That is, he would be aware that he had failed his Lord and had lived shamefully. You don't want that, my friend.
So live faithfully today. In the Lord, and use your gifts, and you know you will be rewarded well according to your works when the Lord. comes. God bless you. If this message has blessed you, tell your friends and please consider helping us stay on the air by sending your tax-deductible donation to Greg Hennett Ministries.
Also, remember, you may download the Until He Comes podcast from your preferred podcast app. May you walk closely with Christ and trust and obey Him in your daily tests of faith and patience until He Comes. This is the Truth Network. Yeah.
