Fighting for Real Estate: Part #14 – Jesus Gives 3 Parables To Prepare Us!
By Richard Allen – January 20, 2025

The 25th Chapter of Matthew contains three profound parables concerning the “Second Coming of Jesus Christ!” The fact is, Matthew records that Jesus delivered these three Parables as a part of His Olivet Discourse or right afterward in Matthew Chapter 25. This should have made Jesus’ meaning clear for His Jewish Disciples as well us. As we’ve noted, Jesus admonished His Disciples on both the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and His coming at the End of the Age to judge all mankind. These three Parables: 1.) The Ten Virgins (Bridesmaids), 2.) The Servants with their Talents, and 3.) The Sheep and the Goats – all have an important message for Believers in every age. I believe that these three Parables are still connected to Jesus’ answer to His disciples’ questions in Matthew 24:3 – “When shall these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” It’s also important for us to observe how Jesus delivered these three Parables about His Second Coming: He gives His disciples a warning at the end of Matthew Chapter 24:
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servant and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:45-51).
Because of their own confusion, Jesus gave His disciples clear signs to look for prior to the dismantling of the Temple in 70 AD, “one stone from another.” But in verses 36-44 Jesus changed directions – telling His disciples “But of that Day, that is, the End of the World, no man knows, not even the Son” (Matthew 24:36). He immediately closes out Matthew Chapter 24 by telling his disciples: “You aren’t going to get any visible warning regarding the end, you just need to be ready!” It was after this warning that Jesus gives three parables in Matthew 25. Here’s the first of these Parables Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 25:
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour (Matthew 25:1-:13).
There is a lot to learn from The Parable of the Ten Virgins. First, they were all invited to the Wedding Feast. Second, as Bridesmaids, they were given one job: “Light the path for the approaching Bridegroom!” To that end, they should all have been ready – with oil in their lamps – to light their lamps and illuminate the Bridegroom’s path! Third, Jesus also tells us in verse 5: “As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.“ Like all parables, we can take the interpretation too far, but Jesus’ meaning is clear. Jesus is the Bridegroom, and those who are His followers need to be prepared and waiting for His return to consummate the “Marriage of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:6-8). What the oil represents is a larger discussion for another time, but Jesus is crystal clear that He, the Bridegroom will be delayed in returning. All three parables in Matthew Chapter 25 have this in common: The rightful Bridegroom and Ruler will be gone for some time, Returning unexpectedly (not secretively) – At Any Time! So, we must be ready, busy doing the work given to us when He returns! This Parable and the two Parables following it in Chapter 25 are a continuation of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 24:42-44 where He says:
“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42-44).
This exhortation by our Lord could not be clearer: “Watch, be ready, be diligent” – Jesus will come when you don’t expect it! But the saddest thing about the “so-called” Bible experts (who are so sure of their futuristic and dispensational interpretations) is, they fail the Church of Jesus Christ by pushing many of Jesus’ warnings into some future millennial drama, dulling the sharp words of our Lord. But Jesus doesn’t just give one Parable, He gives three! The next two are just as profound, but for different reasons. If the lesson from The Parable of the Ten Virgins was “to be ready, watch and have your lamps prepared,” then the lesson from The Parable of the Talents is: “Use the Talents God has given you for the furtherance of the Kingdom!” Here’s the second of Jesus’ Parables given in Matthew 25:
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had re- ceived the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more… And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more… ’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So, take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’ (Matthew 25:14-30).
While the exhortation from Jesus in The Parable of the Talents is to busy ourselves working for the Kingdom, there is something important to point out: Like The Parable of the Ten Virgins, this parable culminates in judgment. There is no second chance, no 1000 years to repent and make it right – when our Lord Returns, unprofitable servants will be “cast into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Whereas The Parable of The Ten Virgins ended with the finality of “the door was shut,” so too The Parable of the Talents ratchets up the condemnation. Again, Jesus was proclaiming these truths to His disciples so they wouldn’t miss the importance of His coming at the End of the Age to judge. His prior warning about the tempestuous signs leading up to the Destruction of Jerusalem, also had an important admonition: “Get Out of Jerusalem, Flee! But for the judgment at the last day, there is no escape.” This brings us to Jesus’ final Parable: The Parable of the Sheep and The Goats! Here’s the text of that Parable:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:31-46).
I hope it’s crystal clear to everyone that all three of these Parables in Matthew 25 are speaking of the same event: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the End of the World! Instead of seeing Matthew Chapters 24 and 25 (along with the parallel passages from Mark’s and Luke’s gospels), as teaching about future drama with the “Anti-Christ” riding into Jerusalem on a sow, making war on Jews and Jerusalem or about “Talking Statues.” Jesus’ Olivet Discourse was given to prepare Jesus’ Bride for “the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.” Again, the Church is made up of Jews, Gentiles, Males, Females, Slaves and Freemen. Jesus’ focus is on His Second coming at the End of the Age – not the culmination of God’s judgment on Natural Israel or the start of Jesus’ Millennial Reign! It’s the Spiritual People of God who are the thrust of His concern. In several different ways Jesus tells his Disciples: Be Ready, you don’t know the day or the hour. Keep laboring for the Kingdom – using your talents for the glory of God. Have your lamps filled with Oil and Shining bright! And most importantly – love and care for Jesus’ Brethren in the Church, even the Least of His Brothers and Sisters. By so doing, we are showing love and kindness to the Lord Himself! Our next Blog will talk about that “wonderful meeting with the Lord in the Air!”
Soli Deo Gloria
"By so doing, we are showing love and kindness to the Lord Himself! "
There is no way "we" can "show" - SATAN has permission from YHVH to make it look like "love", making it a show - LOVE to any creature YHVH - LOVE - HAS CREATED/ IS CREATING.
YHVH'S CREATURES cannot even ask YHVH to make them obedient WITHOUT YHVH'S WISDOM, BRILLIANCE, MIGHT ...! So how should it be possible to do something apart from WAITING FOR YHVH'S WISDOM, BRILLIANCE, MIGHT, … become manifest through YHVH'S CREATION, so YHVH can worship HIMSELF THROUGH HIMSELF/ YHVH'S CREATION based on YHVH'S WISDOM, BRILLIANCE, MIGHT, PURPOSE, … ALONE!
AMEN HALLELU-YAH!
"... care for Jesus’ Brethren in the Church, even the Least of His Brothers and Sisters."
Care for THE TRUTH only and let YHVH do the rest. If YHVH has any use for the hands, legs, … YHVH created, YHVH will use them according to YHVH'S WISDOM, MIGHT, PURPOSE, … as THE HOLY SPIRIT will guide anyone "miraculously" who trusts THE HOLY SPIRIT ALONE - which can only be obtained through YHVH'S WORD.
If not - if relying on the reason of man's mind - SATAN will sneak in the wicked and depraved ideas that profited not, labeling them as "UN, WHO, UNHCR, …" and what have you and sooner rather than later you will be back on the lap…
"... the Bridegroom will be delayed in returning."
Yes AND ABSOLUTELY NOT - unless one claims YHVH doesn't know what YHVH IS DOING. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST is going to be on YHVH'S time.
25He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and SHALL THINK to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.
Dan 7, 25
So no wonder the bridegroom will be "delayed" as THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN has been given "rulership" over THE WORLD, only in order to prepare THE RIGHTEOUS KINGDOM OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
17for God has put it into their…
"... were all invited to the Wedding Feast."
Everyone is invited to THE WEDDING FEAST since entering SPACE & TIME. Never stop letting the lamp of THE HOLY SPIRIT be readied by the lamp of THE HOLY SPIRIT through YHVH'S WORD renewed by every SINGLE WORD OF YHVH.
ONLY THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE - THE LORD JESUS CHRIST - AND THE HOLY SPIRIT FOREVER AND EVER - AMEN HALLELU-YAH - SOLI DEO GLORIA!