A |

8: 12. Kingdom. References to Gentiles in place of Israel.

B

| 13: 42, 50. Tares, fish, end of age, and coming of Son of man.

A |

22: 13. Marriage. Reference to Gentiles in place of Israel.

| 24: 51, 25: 30. Evil and unprofitable servant, end of age,

coming of Son of man.

In all these references loss of position in the kingdom rather than loss of salvation is in

view. Salvation as is evangelically understood had never been propounded when

Matt. 8: and 13: were uttered, for the Lord had not said a word about His death and

resurrection (Matt. 16: 21). The kingdom had been preached. Entry into it had been

explained. Warning had been uttered, and this parable shows that the fact of being a

servant does not render such immune from very severe punishment and loss. To have a

portion among the hypocrites, instead of entering the joy of the Lord, to find the gate shut

and access to the wedding feast denied, this causes the weeping and gnashing of teeth.

"Blessed are they who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." These will be

the ready ones. Even the Bride "makes herself ready" (Rev. 19: 7).

We shall learn more concerning this line of teaching when we examine Matt. 25:

Let us remember that grace does not mean or lead to irresponsibility, but rather constrains

unto faithfulness in the little time we have left for fellowship with His sufferings.

The parable of the ten virgins expands and further explains the need for watchfulness

and readiness that has already been uttered in Matt. 24: 42, where similar words are

used to those with which the parable of the Virgins closes. It is most important in

considering the structure, to observe the way in which the verbs made up of erchomai,

"to come," or "to go," occur, not only because they subdivide the parable for us, but, as

we shall see, they form an important link with the next parable and continue the line of

teaching. The verbs are exerchomai, "to go forth," and "to go out"; aperchomai, "to

go away"; eiserchomai, "to go in"; and erchomai, "to come." Any structure that

misses out these pivotal words will fail to illuminate as a structure should the essential