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MATTHEW CHAPTER 22
Objectors to free grace salvation and eternal security point to Matthew chapter 22 as a proof text for the false doctrine that one's lifestyle must reflect some unspecified amount and type of faithful works otherwise one is not saved at all or will lose one's salvation and be cast into the Lake of Fire.
Here's how the passage reads:
[Mt 22:1-14]:
(v. 1) '''And Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying,
(v. 2) "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king, who gave a wedding feast for his son.
(v. 3) And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.
(v. 4) Again he sent out other slaves saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, 'Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.'
(v. 5) But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business,
(v. 6) and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.
(v. 7) But the king was enraged and sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and set their city on fire.
(v. 8) Then he said to his slaves, "The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
(v. 9) Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast."
(v. 10) And those slaves went out into the streets, and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.
(v. 11) But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes,
(v. 12) and he said to him, "Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?" And he was speechless.
(v. 13) Then the king said to the servants, "Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
(v. 14) For many are called, but few are chosen." '''
A careful examination of this parable provides the following parallel statements:
Just as the king is holding a wedding banquet for his son, so there will be a banquet in the kingdom of heaven on earth which New Testament revelation teaches that God the Father will hold a wedding banquet for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Rev 19:7-9).
Just as a specific group of individuals were at first invited to attend, so those of the nation Israel were invited to be part of the banquet held on earth during our Lord's millennial rule, (ref. Mt 10:1-42, Lk 9:1-6; Mk 6:7-13).
Just as the first group rejected the invitation, attacked and murdered the king's servants; so the Jews rejected the Son of God as Messiah, attacked and murdered His prophets, disciples and other faithful believers, (ref. Mt 23:29-34; Lk 11:47-51).
Just as the king sent his armies, destroyed the murderers, and set their city on fire, so God decreed and history showed that Rome would likewise send an army, destroy millions of Jews, and burn the city of Jerusalem in AD 70, (ref. Lk 19:41-43).
And just as the king thereupon extended his invitation to all who would come to his son's banquet from all over, so our Lord then extended His invitation to accept Him as Messiah Savior to "whosoever will" believe in Him as Savior, (ref. Mt 28:19; Lk 24:46-49; Acts 1:8; 10:43).
Just as those who did not accept the king's invitation did not attend the banquet of their own volition, so those who did not accept God's invitation to believe in His Son unto eternal life, (1 Jn 5:9-13), will not attend the wedding banquet of their Messiah. Especially in view are those to whom our Lord was speaking: the Jews - who felt that it would be their exclusive destiny to take part in the Kingdom banquet, (ref. Jn 8:39; 9:28).
Just as the individual who chose not to wear the proper wedding garment was bound and cast out of the banquet itself, so those who are not wearing the proper attire representing faithful lives will be likewise cast out of the Lord's wedding banquet. Both to experience weeping and gnashing of teeth at their utter disappointment at their great loss of fellowship, (Mt 25:14-30).
But neither were cast out of their respective kingdoms.
Just as God invites all to believe and be saved but only those who are chosen by Him will be saved, so God invites all believers to be faithful, but only those who are chosen by Him will be faithful.
Just as every tear will be wiped away and there will be no more sorrow when God finally recreates the new heavens and the new earth, so there will be a season of sorrow and regret beforehand for those who did not serve the Lord faithfully. And finally, just as the faithful will enter heaven with maximum capacity to serve the Lord and enjoy eternity, so the unfaithful believer will be limited in such capacities.
II) A PARABLE OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ON THE EARTH PRESENTED BY JESUS TO THE JEWISH RULERS
(v. 1) "Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:
(v. 2) 'The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son."
A) TO WHOM WAS JESUS SPEAKING: HIS ENEMIES, THE JEWISH RULERS
"Jesus spoke to them again" = "them" refers to the religious leaders of Israel who were looking for a way to destroy Christ and His ministry without harming themselves or their position of power.
Compare Mt 21:23 which indicates to whom Christ was primarily speaking:
(Note that Mt 21:23 begins the section which contains the passage we are examining).
"And when He had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him as He was teaching, and said, 'By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?' "
So the point of view of the those to whom our Lord was speaking was Jewish and the attitude was hostile.
Later verses in Matthew indicate the extent to which these leaders will go to rid themselves of the 'threat' of our Lord's ministry. Compare verses 21:23, 25b-27 & 45-46. Nevertheless, our Lord is staying on the theme that is contained in 21:31-32: the rejection of Him as Messiah and those who will be there in the kingdom of heaven at His millennial reign.
The "Bible Knowledge Commentary", New Testament edition, Walvoord and Zuck editors, Victor Books, 1983, p71, states on Mt 22:1-7:
"Jesus had in mind the effect of the nation's [1srael's] rejection of Him. God had made plans for His Son's millennial reign and the invitation had been extended [to Israel].
[That reign would have begun immediately after Israel's acceptance, i.e., belief in Him as Messiah]
But the preaching of John the Baptist, Jesus, and the disciples had largely been ignored......................... [which up to that time had been done exclusively and only to the nation Israel, cp Mt 10:1-42; Lk 9:1-6]
The nation [Israel] would even kill those extending the offer. Finally in A. D. 70, [approx. 40 years after Christ's death and resurrection] the Roman army would come, kill most of the Jews living in Jerusalem, and destroy the temple."
B) A WEDDING BANQUET WITHIN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ON THE EARTH IS IN VIEW
[Mt 22:1-2 cont.]:
(v. 1) "Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:
(v. 2) 'The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son."
Notice that the previous parables provide a picture of the kingdom of heaven. This parable does likewise as it draws a parallel of a wedding banquet which evidently takes place within the kingdom of heaven - which a father has prepared for his son. This obviously limits the scope of the parable to not an entire picture of the kingdom of heaven but to a slice of that entire picture.
C) THE BANQUET IS A PAN-IN VIEW OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN NOT A PANORAMIC ONE
"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to" - Keep in mind that our Lord is presenting a picture of a portion of the kingdom of heaven on earth: the wedding banquet. This is a 'pan-in' view not a panoramic one.
Note that the previous parables, [the Parables of the two sons, (vv. 21:28-32), and the landowner, (vv. 33-40)] have the same 'vignette' characteristic - portraying a different aspect of the future kingdom of heaven, as do many of our Lord's parables on this subject, (Mt 13:24-58; 20:1-16; 25:1-30).
This is very important to realize because the end of the parable is often used as a proof text by loss of salvation/lordship salvation proponents if the scope of this parable covers all of the kingdom of heaven.
D) THE BANQUET'S SETTING IS ON THE EARTH DURING OUR LORD'S MILLENNIAL RULE
Picture what the kingdom of heaven is like in terms of the parable's scenario in light of New Testament revelation. Although New Testament revelation of the wedding banquet provides some detail that the immediate hearers of Mt 22 would not immediately perceive if at all, this does not rule out the consideration of such detail for application to the passage under consideration even for the immediate hearers who may later realize such detail in their physical lifetimes. But this revelation is especially significant for all mankind to perceive later on. Such is the nature of biblical progressive revelation, especially prophecy.
E) FIRST THE WEDDING OF THE LAMB TO HIS BRIDE, THE CHURCH, IN HEAVEN
THEN COMES THE SECOND COMING, THE JUDGMENT OF NATIONS AND WEDDING BANQUET ON THE EARTH DURING OUR LORD'S MILLENNIAL RULE
The wedding of the Lamb to His Bride, the Church, has taken place in heaven while the Tribulation raged on the earth:
[Rev 19:1, 7, 9, 11-16]:
(v. 1) '''After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God..."
[Notice that the wedding is in heaven with a great multitude joyfully shouting praises to God. And this joyful rejoicing continues relative to the wedding of the Lamb]:
(v. 7) let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.
[Then the angel who was providing God's revelation to the Apostle John, (v. 1:1), told John, to write, "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!", in anticipation of that momentous event to be held on the earth soon after our Lord's Second Coming]:
(v. 9) And he [the angelic messenger to John] said to me [apostle John] "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb,' And he said to me, "These are true words of God." ''' [And then, before the banquet begins, there is first preparation for and execution of our Lord's Second Coming]:
(v. 11) And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He Who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
(v. 12) And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself.
(v. 13) And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God.
(v. 14) And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
(v. 15 ) And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. (v. 16) And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, 'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.' "
F) OTHER SCRIPTURE PASSAGES SUPPORT AN EARTHLY BANQUET
The fact that the wedding supper of the Lamb, a different event from and following the wedding ceremony itself is to be held on the earth following our Lord's Second Coming is confirmed from Scripture in a number of ways:
Jesus is speaking to the rulers of Israel in Matthew chapter 22 which we are examining. Their scriptural frame of reference relative to the kingdom of heaven is the Messiah's earthly reign - the millennium, (Rev 20:4-5). Compare Isa 9:4-7; 49:8-end; Jer 30:18 to 31:40; Ez 36:24-38.
And Isa 25:6-8 indicates that the millennial banquet is to be held on top of an earthly mountain.
b) AN EARTHLY BANQUET WOULD ENABLE ALL BELIEVERS OF ALL AGES TO ATTEND
Given that our Lord is Lord of all the elect in heaven and on earth, and that all are to be invited to His wedding supper as guests; and since this includes both mortal and immortal believers in heaven and on the earth - some yet to be born in the Tribulation and the Millennium; then the celebration of the banquet could hardly be held in heaven excluding millions of mortal believers of the Tribulation and Millennial periods.
c) SCRIPTURE ONLY PRESENTS ONE HISTORICAL BANQUET FOR THE END TIMES: AN EARTHLY ONE
Furthermore, the consecutive sequence of events as described in Rev 19:1-20:15 from the heavenly praises of the Lord at the destruction the great prostitute, Babylon, through the wedding of the Lamb through the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment and on to the New Heavens and the New Earth make mention of only one banquet: the Wedding Supper of the Lamb in 20:9. At the same time, other passages of Scripture mention an earthly banquet having great significance for both Jew and Gentile which has not occurred either. For example:
(v. 6) "On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines.
(v. 7) On this mountain He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations [and keeps people divided];
(v. 8) He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth."
(v. 28) "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being cast out.
(v. 29) And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at table in the kingdom of God." (Cp. Mt 8:11, 22:1; Lk 14:24)
d) THE PARABLE OF THE 10 VIRGINS AWAITING ENTRANCE TO THE BANQUET CAN ONLY HAVE AN EARTHLY SETTING
Finally, the parable of the
kingdom of heaven of the 10 virgins in Mt 25:1-13 who are awaiting
entrance to a wedding banquet could only have an earthly banquet in view
since there are no virgin types in heaven nor a heavenly significance to
having sufficient lamp oil so as to be prepared when the Bridegroom
arrives to celebrate His Wedding Supper with them. There is only an
earthly significance of staying prepared while on earth before the Lord
comes to the earth in order to celebrate His wedding supper with all of
His faithful believers. 
ONE BANQUET - AN EARTHLY ONE
There is only one banquet which is described in part by all of these passages: our Lord's Wedding Supper.
So the setting of the wedding supper of the Lamb must be an earthly setting so that believers of all ages can attend and celebrate the wedding of their Lord and His Bride the Church.
Objectors who still hold to a heavenly banquet before our Lord's Second Coming in spite of all of the aforementioned evidence from Scripture to the contrary, must still answer as to how an unbeliever could gain admission to heaven in order to be extricated from the banquet which they falsely maintain is held in heaven above the earth. Note that only believers in Christ gain entrance to heaven, (Jn 14:6). Unbelievers do not even gain a temporary entrance to heaven, much less gain admission into our Lord's Wedding Supper.
So here is portrayed in Mt 22:1-14 a kingdom within which the king is preparing a wedding banquet for his son. This wedding banquet is not the entire kingdom but it is a very important and unique part of that kingdom. This becomes evident as the picture of the parable of the wedding banquet develops. At first, a specific group from a specific location, (v. 7: "their city"), of individuals is invited into the banquet, (vv. 3-4). This group rejects the invitation. Then the king extends his invitation to individuals from all over - the good and the bad. And at the banquet there are those who are rejected. All of this as directed under the decrees and sovereignty of God.
III) THE KING'S INVITATION IS REJECTED
(v. 3) "He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
(v. 4) Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet'
(v. 5) But they paid no attention and went off - one to his field another to his business.
(v. 6) The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them."
"servants" = "slaves" - "douloi" - a term in the context of Mt 22 which has reference to faithful servants of the King as well as believers and followers of the Messiah Jesus Christ.
"For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave"
A) THREE GROUPS OF THE KING'S SERVANTS ARE REJECTED
The three groups of slaves, may represent the prophets and John the Baptist as the first group, (v.3), for they were certainly rejected - to the extent of being tortured and killed, (Mt 23:29-32; Lk 11:47-51). Verse 4 may represent the disciples who were at first sent out to Israel only, (Mt 10:1-42; Mk 6:7-13; Lk 9:1-6). And then later in the period of the book of Acts after our Lord's crucifixion, resurrection and ascension into heaven the disciples regrouped and received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and then went out again. At first they went almost exclusively to the 'House of Israel' again with the message which still preached of the kingdom of God through faith in Christ the Messiah. Compare Acts 2:14-47; Gal 2:7-9. But then later they expanded to the Gentile world. It was primarily through the Apostle Paul that the gospel of salvation was later spread to all nations, (Gal 2:7-9). The disciples were commanded to spread the gospel to all nations - Mt 28:19; Lk 24:46-49; Acts 1:8; and later on this would happen, but first to the Jew and then to the Gentile, (Ro 1:16). This second group of disciples, which were of Christ's servants, were "paid no attention" to by most of those to whom they gave the gospel - just as the parable teaches, (Mt 22:5). But "the rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them", (Mt 22:6). The Jewish leaders likewise mistreated the disciples and killed them as prophesied by our Lord, (Mt 23:34). This prophecy was fulfilled as noted in many places in Scripture: Acts 4:1-22; 5:17-40: 6:8-14; 7:54-60; 12:1-4; 13:50; 14:19; 16:19-24; 17:13-15; 18:12-13; 21:27-33; 23:12-15; Jn 9:22; Rev 1:9; 2:13. Immediately after this rejection by the Jews of the invitation of the kingdom of God through faith in Christ the Messiah of this second group of disciples came the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of Titus in A.D. 70:
"The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city."
(v. 41) "And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it,
(v. 42) saying, 'If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.
(v. 43) For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side,
(v. 44) and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."
The third group of servants, (vv. 8-9), may well be representative of the disciples of Christ who have gone out after A.D. 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed and continue to go out all over the world to Jews, (the Jews are now largely dispersed all over the world), and Gentiles alike to preach the gospel of salvation by grace through faith alone in the Messiah Jesus Christ alone:
V) ONE MUST BE WORTHY ENOUGH TO ATTEND THE BANQUET
(v. 8) "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy." "but those who had been invited were not worthy" - "worthy" - "axios" - deserving.
The parable keeps the banquet within the kingdom in view. So it is stating that those who have rejected the invitation to come to the son's banquet are not worthy to attend; just as those who do not accept the invitation to trust alone in Christ alone are, in the absence of any righteousness, unworthy to attend our Lord's wedding banquet. They do not get into the kingdom of heaven, much less are they deemed worthy to attend the wedding banquet.
This being a parable and parables generally being straight forward illustrations of Biblical truths, we must consider the most straight forward meaning of the word unworthy here: that of those first invited being unworthy relative to their own merits. Since salvation is never a meritorious condition on the part of the believer, (Eph 2:8-9), then attendance at the wedding banquet of our Lord does not have the subject of salvation in view. Furthermore, those who do not accept the invitation to trust alone in Christ alone never permit themselves the opportunity to perform a single faithful deed for the Lord:
(v. 6) "For the mind set on the flesh, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
(v. 7) because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so;
(v. 8) and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
VI) INVITATION IS EXTENDED TO ALL WHO WILL COME
(v. 8) "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy.
(v. 9) 'Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find'
" 'to the street corners' " = "diexodous" = to the major intersections of internationally traveled roads, i.e. to the rest of the world - to Jews and Gentiles.
"and invite to the banquet anyone you find." = and preach the gospel of salvation to anyone who will listen - preach the message which invites anyone into the kingdom of God by faith, Jews and Gentiles alike.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
VII) THE BANQUET HALL IS FILLED WITH ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACCEPTED THE INVITATION
"So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad and the wedding hall was filled with guests."
"gathered all the people they could find" = who would accept the king's extended universal invitation, (v. 9).
Those who gain entrance into the banquet are those who have accepted the invitation to trust alone in Christ alone as Savior. But to remain in the banquet is another matter:
A) SOME OF THE GUESTS WILL BE GOOD
[Mt 22:10 cont.]:
"So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad and the wedding hall was filled with guests."
"both good and bad" = both good = those who accepted the invitation and became eternally secure believers AND who remained in fellowship with God, performing divine good works
B) SOME OF THE GUESTS WILL BE BAD
"and bad" = "ponerous" = evil, onerous = those who accepted the invitation into the kingdom by faith alone in Christ alone and also became believers BUT did not remain in fellowship with God and so they lived as carnal Christians - lived evil lives - out of fellowship with God and involved with worldly interests. Compare 1 Cor 3:1-23; Heb 5:11-14; Gal 4:1-11. These are the believers who accepted the invitation to the wedding banquet but who continued to live evil lives and will be thrown out of that banquet when their rebellious lifestyle is revealed.
Compare 2 Cor 5:10 which indicates that there will be those believers who do evil:
"For we [believers] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." ["bad" = "kakon" = corrupt, worthless, depraved, evil]
VIII) NOT ALL WHO ATTEND THE BANQUET WILL BE ACCEPTABLE
(v. 11) "But when the king came into view the guests, he looked intently at a man there who had on no wedding garment;
(v. 12) And he said, 'Friend, how did you come in here without putting on the appropriate wedding garment?' And he was speechless."
Traditionally, in the Middle Eastern part of the world, guests at an event such as this are often provided with some sort of appropriate clothing to wear. And this would be an important factor to consider here since these particular guests were invited to attend right from where they were encountered out in the street corners and intersections - and without any advance notice so that one could be prepared. So anyone not wearing appropriate dress has refused to put on the clothing that was provided. So, on the one hand, it becomes an attitude problem: one of being unfaithful to accepted customs of social behavior, thus offending the king in the parable. And on the other hand, it becomes an attitude problem: one of being unfaithful to God's command to the believer to obey His commandments, thus offending the King of kings. The immediate hearers of our Lord's words would have clearly understood this message even without further revelation as found in the New Testament.
A) THE KING IS THERE TO VISIT, NOT TO JUDGE
[Mt 22:11-12 cont.]:
(v. 11) "But when the king came into view the guests, he looked intently at a man there who had on no wedding garment;
(v. 12) And he said, 'Friend, how did you come in here without putting on the appropriate wedding garment?' And he was speechless."
Notice that the king is inside his kingdom and then he comes into the wedding banquet itself in order to visit with, i.e., to meet with his guests.
"to visit with" = "theasasthai" = to meet with.
The king's guests have been invited from all corners of the world, from all peoples - as all are invited to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.
The king's guests are guests - they have accepted the wedding invitation and are inside at the wedding supper - as all who have accepted the invitation to believe in the gospel of salvation gain entrance inside the kingdom of heaven and gain entrance into the wedding supper of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ which is held inside the kingdom of heaven on earth.
So the king comes into the wedding banquet to visit with, "to see", his invited guests who have accepted his invitation. He does not come into the wedding banquet with the purpose of judging to see that each of his guests is properly attired and acceptable to attend his son's wedding banquet. The king just came in to visit with his guests and to make them welcome not to judge them. And especially at a wedding supper would seeking out and judging offenders be highly inappropriate! The grace of God is clearly portrayed here, providing an invitation to whosoever will", providing opportunity to obey His commands and receive robes of individual acts of righteousness and then visiting with those whom He has so graciously provided for in order to meet and accept them at the event of His Son's wedding banquet.
There is no Old or New Testament passage on judgment unto Hades or Gehenna, (Lake of Fire), which has the following characteristics such as described in the parable in Matthew chapter 22:
1) A wedding supper at which all will be invited to celebrate.
2) Being invited to attend such that you have the choice of coming or not coming to the Judgment, (vv. 22:3-10).
(But believers of all dispensations do have the choice of accepting or declining the invitation to the banquet - based on their own choice of lifestyle).
3) Being called a guest at the Judgment.
(But believers of non-church age dispensations are certainly going to be guests at the wedding feast).
4) Gaining entrance into the banquet which is perceived to be the entire kingdom of heaven, and then those who behave unsatisfactorily being kicked out of heaven into Gehenna.
(Unbelievers will be judged before gaining entrance into the millennial kingdom and the rest before the new heavens and the new earth are occupied at the Great White Throne Judgment).
(On the other hand, believers will be inside the millennial kingdom in order to be inside the wedding feast and may very well be extricated from the banquet only due to unfaithful behavior).
5) On the one hand, an attendee of the wedding feast will be extricated from the banquet on account of his behavior, but attendees of either judgment will be extricated only account of account of never having trusted alone in the Messiah Jesus Christ alone.
6) The attendees or 'guests' being visited by the King in order to make them feel welcomed
7) If this is to be a scenario of the final Great White Throne Judgment, there is a problem with some of the 'guests' not being condemned as this final judgment condemns all who are to be judged, not leaving any there.
C) JUDGMENT UNTO ETERNAL LIFE OCCURS BEFORE AND AFTER THE MILLENNIAL WEDDING BANQUET
Scripture elsewhere does not support the judging by God between believers and unbelievers at the time of the wedding feast. This judgment, which is an earthly judgment exclusively of mortal and physically alive believers and unbelievers, occurs before anyone enters into Christ's millennial rule on earth, (Mt 25:31-46).
And after this rule, there is the Great White Throne Judgment. This final judgment is a heavenly judgment exclusively of resurrected dead unbelievers which occurs after our Lord's millennial rule, (Rev 20:11-15).
D) COMPARE THE PASSAGE OF THE JUDGMENT OF NATIONS WHICH IS CRITICAL TO OUR STUDY:
[Compare Matthew 25:31-34, 41, 46]:
(v. 31) "But when the Son of Man comes [to Earth] in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
(v. 32) And all the nations will be gathered before Him, [on the earth, (Ez 20:33-38)] and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
(v. 33) and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
(v. 34) Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
(v. 41) Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
(v. 46) And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Likewise, Old Testament Scripture testifies to the judgment of Israelites before the Kingdom Age in which unbelievers will be excluded from that kingdom:
(v. 33) " 'As I live,' declares the Lord God, 'surely with a mighty hand and with and outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be King over you.
(v. 34) And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out;
(v. 35) As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,' declares the Lord God.
(v. 36) As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,' declares the Lord God.
(v. 37) And I shall make you pass under the rod, and I shall bring you into the bond of the covenant;
(v. 38) and I shall purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I shall bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the LORD."
Notice that the judgment here has the earth, specifically the "land of Israel", in view. So it is an earthly judgment which is performed before our Lord's millennial rule.
E) SO THOSE WHO GAIN ADMISSION INTO THE BANQUET ARE ETERNALLY SECURE BELIEVERS
So the guests who are received into the millennium and into the wedding supper of the Lamb have already had judgment passed on them and were deemed worthy to have eternal life STARTING IN THE MILLENNIAL REIGN ON EARTH - this on the basis of having trusted alone in Christ alone for salvation. Therefore all of the attendees at the wedding supper of the Lamb are eternally secure believers. Unbelievers will not even gain entrance into the millennium, much more receive admission into the wedding supper of Jesus Christ!
VIII) NOT ALL WHO ATTEND THE BANQUET WILL BE ACCEPTABLE, (cont)
[Mt 22:11-12 cont.]:
(v. 11) "But when the king came into view the guests, he looked intently at a man there who had on no wedding garment;
(v. 12) And he said, 'Friend, how did you come in here without putting on the appropriate wedding garment?' And he was speechless."
["And he said, 'Friend..." = Notice that the king addresses his guest as a friend. This would not be an appropriate address if the king was intent upon judging each of his guests unto heaven or hell.
Objectors to this point indicate that other passages in Matthew which have the same word, "friend", in them do not use the word with a friendly connotation, but rather the opposite, therefore they falsely maintain that the word means the hostile opposite in Mt 22:12 as well:
(v. 13) "But he [the landowner, (v. 1)] answered one of them [a disgruntled field laborer who accused the landowner of being unfair], 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?
(v. 14) Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.
(v. 15) Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?"
There is no indication that the landowner does not consider the disgruntled man more a friend than an enemy. Nor is the term friend used in such a way that it indicates that he is distancing himself from him. The confrontation with the man might be done with friends or enemies in the same manner and phraseology considering the circumstances, especially the ingratitude of the individual. The use of the term "friend' might very well be a communication to the disgruntled individual that there is no hostility or distancing coming from the landowner while he is rebuking him for his attitude.
"Jesus replied, "Friend, [speaking to Judas Iscariot, (v. vv. 47-48)] do what you came for." Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested Him."
In light of both passages quoted above, we can observe that the hostility of one individual toward another, such as the laborer toward the landowner or the betrayal of our Lord by Judas Iscariot does not rule out the landowner's consideration of the laborer as friend or our Lord's view of Judas as friend in spite of the Judas' betrayal.
C. I. Scoffield writes re: Mt 26:50, (Oxford NIV Scofield Study Bible, Oxford University Press, New York, 1984, p. 1015):
"Here is one of the most touching things in the Bible. The Lord still reaches out to Judas in friendship while he is about to betray Him."
[Mt 22:11-12 cont.]:
(v. 11) "But when the king came into view the guests, he looked intently at a man there who had on no wedding garment;
(v. 12) And he said, 'Friend, how did you come in here without putting on the appropriate wedding garment?' And he was speechless."
A king who is intent upon looking for offenders does not ask a man in a conciliatory way how he came into the wedding banquet without appropriate attire, wedding attire which the king himself provided for each guest.
G) THE FRIEND HAS NO EXPLANATION TO OFFER - NO EXCUSE
It was often traditional at oriental wedding suppers that the host provide a robe for each guest to wear and in this circumstance it must be concluded that the speechless guest could offer no excuse for his obvious refusal to put it on. It will also be discovered that the believer who was unfaithful to the Lord with his life on earth will not have proper wedding attire either when he appears at the wedding supper of Jesus Christ and the church; and he will likewise have no explanation - no excuse - to offer.
H) THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT PERFORMING ONE'S DIVINELY APPOINTED GOOD WORKS
Although believers will also be wearing robes of righteousness symbollic of the imputed righteousness of God as result of their moment of faith alone in God's Son alone, (Ro 4:5; Isa 61:10), only faithful believers will wear other robes which are representative of their faithful living on earth. Rev 19:8 speaks of fine linen which believers wear at their wedding to our Lord as the Bride of Christ. This fine linen, the verse goes on to say, represents righteous acts on the part of the believer and not a gift upon which salvation is based, (Eph 2:8-10). These acts are the righteous acts - the divine good works, (notice acts is plural), which each believer himself performs. So the fine linen does not represent the robe of the absolute Righteousness of Christ, (notice that robe is singular), which is received at the moment an individual trusts alone in Christ alone for salvation. Cp Ro 3:21-24; Eph 2:8-9. (Ro 3:22; 4:1-8).
Believers of all ages - Old Testament ages, Church age, future ages - are all sovereignly provided with specific divine good works prepared in advance for us to do, (Eph 2:8-10), which we, as believers, are enabled to perform by God's grace and by living a life of faith energized by love for the Savior, (Gal 5:6), as led by the Holy Spirit, (Eph 5:18-20).These divine acts are rewarded in heaven and on earth.
An individual immediately receives the righteousness of Christ upon a moment of faith alone in Christ alone in any dispensation. This parable portrays individuals putting on wedding clothes for a wedding banquet in the kingdom of heaven for this specific event. Since believers must automatically be clothed in the righteousness of Christ from the moment they believed and before they arrive at the banquet then these particular clothes that they put on for this specific event cannot be the righteousness of Christ. Unbelievers would not be clothed in the righteousness of Christ and would not be given an opportunity to don the righteousness of Christ at the time of the wedding banquet, nor gain entrance into the banquet inside the kingdom of heaven. Hence the guest that was excluded could not be an unbeliever; and the wedding clothing which is portrayed as something an attendee in the banquet must put on in order to remain in the banquet or be sent out into outer darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth must be something other than that which represents the righteousness of Christ.
(v. 21) "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
(v. 22) This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe."
'''What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (Gen 15:6)
IX) THE OUTER DARKNESS AND WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH
(v. 13) "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "
"Into the outer darkness" = The willfully disobedient guest who refused to wear the wedding garment that was provided for him is tied up hand and foot and thrown outside into the outer darkness:
"to ..skotos ......to .exoteron"
"the darkness the outer"
A) THE OUTER DARKNESS IS NOT THE LAKE OF FIRE IN THE CONTEXT OF MT 22
The wedding feast is a figure of the wedding supper of the Lamb during the millennium which occurs after unbelievers are judged and condemned unto the Lake of Fire. The rest of humanity at that time, being believers, will remain on earth to live in the kingdom. Therefore, we may conclude that the outer darkness cannot refer to hell but instead to a place inside the kingdom of God but outside of the wedding banquet.
Furthermore, none of those who are admitted into the Kingdom will then be cast out of the Kingdom and into Hell because those who are admitted inside are believers in the first place. Their salvation is solely by the sovereign grace of God through faith alone in Christ alone. What they did with their lives has no bearing on their inevitable entrance into the Kingdom:
(v. 5) "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit..." Compare also Eph 2:8-9, Ro 9:16, 2 Cor 7:17-21.
(v. 28) "And I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.
(v. 29) "My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."
(v. 13) "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, (v. 14) Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory."
1) IT IS DARKNESS BY CONTRAST TO THE BANQUET AND THE PRESENCE OF OUR LORD
a) THE PICTURE OF AN ANCIENT JEWISH WEDDING PROVIDES THIS CONTRAST
What is outside the banquet by comparison to what is inside the banquet is relative darkness and inestimable loss of rewards in the Kingdom!
Imagine what Matthew has pictured for his Jewish readers to visualize:
A Jewish wedding banquet being held in a brilliantly lighted hall with a great profusion of lights. There is joy and festivity within. Feasts were always held toward evening time and wedding feasts frequently went on to a late hour. Cp Lk 12:36-38.
Outside the banquet hall in the very narrow city streets of ancient Jerusalem is darkness. The narrow streets were then not illumined by any lights whatsoever.
The streets outside were filthy, there were no street cleaners - no sewers - and the night air was chilly. A tremendous sense of loneliness pervaded the night outside of the banquet hall back in ancient times and will likewise permeate the area of the kingdom of heaven outside the wedding feast especially for those who will be absent from the intimate fellowship with their Lord and Savior inside.
So the "outer darkness" alludes to that area outside of the well-lighted dining room, an outside area where there is darkness both physical and spiritual by comparison to being inside in the presence of
The Messiah King
The Lord Jesus Christ.
So if the believer has no righteous acts, i.e., is improperly dressed relative to the absence of the fine linen of righteous acts performed by him, then he is determined by the Lord as unfit for the wedding banquet and consequently the unfaithful believer will be thrown "outside into the [relative] darkness [outside of the banquet hall and fellowship with our Lord]. Inside at the wedding banquet there is such tremendous fellowship and intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ, and outside there is a darkness relative to the light of the banquet and the Savior and His faithful inside, both spiritual and literal.
2) FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD IS DESCRIBED IN SCRIPTURE AS LIGHT AND THE LACK OF IT, I.E., DARKNESS:
(v. 5) "And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. (v. 6) If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
[So being out of fellowship with God is characterized as walking in darkness which parallels the outer darkness where believers, who had a history of being out of fellowship with God, will be cast. This is contrasted to the brilliant light inside the banquet in the presence of our Lord which parallels the light that a believer walks IN during those moments when he is in fellowship with almighty God]:
(v. 7a) but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another [the believer and God]..." Eph 5:8-11 teaches that believers have the opportunity to live righteously in the light or unfruitfully in the darkness:
(v. 8) "For you [believers] were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light
[So believers have a choice to be faithful in the light or unfaithful in the darkness]:
(v. 9) (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
(v. 10) trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
(v. 11) And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them.."
4) SCRIPTURE OFTEN MAGNIFIES CONTRASTS TO ILLUSTRATE IMPORTANT POINTS
The sharp contrast in Matthew chapter 22 is not only a part of the background of the way the Hebrew people expressed themselves in their language, it is a function of the importance of the message.
"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple."
By comparison, then, the devotion of a true disciple of our Lord verses the attachment to one's own father, mother, wife and children must be as love is to hate.
And compare the difference between God's viewpoint of Jacob vs. Esau even before they were born and relative to God's decree of election:
(v. 11) "For though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him Who calls,
(v. 12) it was said to her, [their mother, Rebekah] 'The older will serve the younger.'
(v. 13) Just as it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' "
God's hatred in this passage is presented in a relative sense - the difference between God's election of Jacob for His divine purposes verses the absence of such a decree with Esau - before they were born.
5) IT IS THE BANQUET WHICH INDIVIDUALS ARE KICKED OUT OF NOT THE KINGDOM
(v. 10) "Now when Jesus heard this [the faith in Him of a Gentile Roman centurion] He marveled, and said to those who were following, 'Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
[So there is a comparison made between the Gentile Roman Centurion, (v. 5), and "anyone of Israel", (10), with respect to the relative amounts of faith exhibited toward Him by the centurion and those of Israel; and not with respect to faith vs. no faith at all. For Scripture testifies that there were many in Israel who were believers, but evidently not so faithful in their walk with the Lord as this centurion, (v. 10). So this passage is not about heaven vs. hell, but about the amount of faithfulness of believers, specifically many Gentiles vs. many Jews. And one of the rewards of this faith is presented in the next verses]
(v. 11) And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west [i.e., Gentiles], and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven
[So it is presented to His listeners that many Gentiles will be so faithful as to be rewarded with reclining at table Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the Kingdom Banquet]
[And the result of unfaithfulness]:
(v. 12) but the sons of the kingdom [In this context, Jewish believers, (vv. 10, 12)] shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
6) SONS OF THE KINGDOM DEFINED
"sons of the kingdom" = those who are destined to occupy the kingdom of heaven on the earth - believers.
'Son of' or 'sons of' can mean 'belonging to' or 'destined for':
"And Jesus said to them, 'The guests [lit., sons = "huioi"] of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.' "
" Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Hell [="Gehenna"] as you are."
And finally, compare a passage which uses the term 'sons of the kingdom' to describe those of Israel who will enter into the kingdom:
[Our Lord is explaining the parable of the weeds in the field to His disciples]:
(v. 38) "The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
(v. 39) and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
(v. 40) As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.
(v. 41) The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil."
So here in Mt 13 the term "sons of the kingdom" means those who are destined to occupy the kingdom of heaven on the earth - believers.
And the term "sons of the kingdom" in the context of Mt 8:12 is best interpreted as those destined for the kingdom who are Jews, i.e., Jewish believers, as opposed to Gentiles due to the contrast between Jews and Gentiles which is made in the passage. Note that God chose Israel to be sons of His kingdom and the Jews often pictured themselves as such keeping in mind God's promise to Abraham and statements like this in Deuteronomy:
"For you [1srael] are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, his treasured possession."
[Mt 22:13 cont.]:
"Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "
"shall be cast out" = "ekblethesouta" = cast out of the banquet itself
The Greek verb form "ekblethesouta" has as its prefix, (first few letters), the letters "ek" which mean "out" from within.
The very fact that "ek" is prefixed to the verb "ekblethesouta" implies that the subject of the verb (sons of the kingdom) was inside whatever they are being cast out from. So God's choice of grammatical construction is critical here in not misunderstanding what verse 8:12 means. And Mt 22:13 also uses the same verb for "cast him out out:, "ekbalete"; and the object out from within of which the maldressed man is cast is also open ended.
This leaves the matter of what the "sons" and the maldressed man are cast out of specifically undefined in verses 8:12 & 22:13. So the key object of what the "sons" and the maldressed man are cast out of must grammatically be found in the previous verses, (vv. 8:11 & 22:12): The banquet itself! This makes both grammatical and scriptural sense because the banquet is the primary focal point of the immediate context, not the overall kingdom of God. So a believer who has been unfaithful in his obedience to the Lord will be cast out of the banquet.. but will remain in the kingdom of heaven.
B) WHERE THERE WILL BE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH
[Mt 22:13 cont.]:
(v. 13) "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth...' "
1) THE DEVASTATION IN THE UNFAITHFUL BELIEVER'S SOUL IS EXPRESSED THRU WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH
"where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." = Refers to the utter disappointment and devastation in the souls of the unfaithful believers who have all been cast out of the wedding banquet but still remain in the kingdom. There is a literal weeping and gnashing of teeth of these believers due to their loss of eternal rewards in heaven and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Believers who have wasted their lives, who chose not to serve the Lord, but only to pursue their own carnal desires and self-serving interests will be excluded from their own wedding banquet with the Lord Jesus Christ. They will not suffer condemnation in the Lake of Fire but they will weep and gnash their teeth at the severe disappointment of being excluded from so great a feast and celebration as the "wedding supper of the Lamb", Jesus Christ.
2) WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH IS NOT LIMITED TO THE LAKE OF FIRE
In other passages in Scripture the term "weeping and gnashing of teeth" describes the behavior believers demonstrate who are eternally secure in the Kingdom of heaven because of loss of rewards and fellowship with the Lord. Mt 8:12; 22:13; 25:14-30.
In still other passages the term "weeping" does not apply to condemnation into the Lake of Fire at all but for a variety of reasons which can be found by examining the context of each passage:
Joy:
[Acts 20:37]
[Gen 45:2; 46:29]
Mourning for the dead:
[Dt 34:8]
Facing one's own death:
[2 Kgs 20:3]
Physical suffering and the loss of everything:
[Job 16:17]
In trouble due to evil:
[Ps 6:8]
And in other passages the term "gnashing of teeth" does not always apply to condemnation into the Lake of Fire either:
Expression of anger:
[Job 16:9]
The wicked trying to intimidate a potential victim:
[Ps 35:16; 37:12]
[Lam 2:16]
The reaction of the wicked when defeated:
[Ps 112:10]
Behavior of a demon possessed individual:
[Mk 9:18]
Behavior of those actually in the Lake of Fire
In Mt 13:42 & 50, the term weeping & gnashing of teeth does describe the behavior of those who occupy the 'fiery furnace' [i.e., the Lake of Fire], so salvation or the lack of it and the Lake of fire are certainly in view.
Regretful behavior in contemplation of being excluded from the kingdom of God
In Lk 13:23-30 the term weeping and gnashing of teeth refers to the regretful behavior at the moment of contemplation of being excluded from the kingdom of God paralleling in type the regretful behavior that unfaithful believers will express when they are excluded from the intimate fellowship with the Lord at the wedding banquet and throughout the millennial rule. Experiencing the Lake of Fire is not in view in this passage, but the exclusion from the Kingdom of God is - which results in the weeping and gnashing of teeth, outside of the Lake of Fire:
[Lk 13:23-30]:
(v. 23) "Someone asked Him [Jesus Christ] 'Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?' He said to them,
(v. 24) 'Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, [of the kingdom of God] because many, I tell you, will try to enter and not be able to' "
[Verses 23 and 24 set the context of this passage which is salvation unto the kingdom of God - unto eternal life. For the door that is being referred to is that which opens to the kingdom of God. Cp Mt 7:13-14.]
[Lk 13:23-30 cont.]:
(v. 25) "Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.'
(v. 26) Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets';
(v. 27) and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVIL DOERS.' "
Notice that the context is further set as those who "ate and drank in Your [our Lord's] presence" during the time when they could say "and You taught in our streets." So these individuals are those who were contemporaries during our Lord's 3 year earthly ministry.
[Lk 13:23-30 cont.]:
(v. 28) There will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD, but you yourselves thrown out "[of the kingdom = having not been permitted entrance through the narrow entry door, (vv. 24-25)]
So here we are describing everlasting punishment outside of the kingdom of God. It is clear in this passage the word "people", (v 23), refers to the Jews who were there at the time of our Lord's earthly, three year, ministry. It portrays them at the "narrow door" to the entrance to the kingdom of God, i.e., before the Great White Throne Judgment seat of God.
(Rev 20:7-15 teaches of the final judgment of Satan and the remainder of all unbelievers who died before our Lord's return, which Judgment occurs at the end of the millennium).
These "people" will have a view of the kingdom of God as they are judged and will see and recognize the Patriarchs and the prophets who are in attendance, (v. 28), giving strong indication that these "people" mentioned in Lk 13:23 are indeed mostly Jewish. For Gentiles would for the most part not be familiar with the Patriarchs and the prophets of Hebrew Scripture. The rejecters of the Messiah will all be judged as unworthy to be in the kingdom of God and cast out of the kingdom into the Lake of Fire. The weeping and gnashing of teeth will occur as a result of learning and experiencing that they will not be permitted entrance into God's kingdom, even after pleading that they ate and drank with the Lord Himself and heard His teaching, (vv. 25-26).
They will realize the inestimable loss of losing their chance FOREVER of being in the kingdom of God with their own Messiah and their own Patriarchs and prophets! WHAT AN UNFATHOMABLE LOSS!!
This loss and consequent weeping and gnashing of teeth parallels in type the regretful behavior that unfaithful believers will express when they are excluded from the intimate fellowship with the Lord at the wedding banquet and throughout the millennial rule.
The agony and a resultant weeping and gnashing of teeth due to being cast into the Lake of Fire is NOT specifically in view here in this passage. This is not to say that ONLY the unbelieving Jews of Jesus' time will be excluded from the kingdom. Other passages such as Ro 1:18-3:24 & Jn 3:16 deal with other kinds of people and their eternal destinies.
So, in Jesus' time the Jews for the most part have rejected Him as their Messiah. On the other hand............
[Lk 13:23-30 cont.]:
"They [other people = Gentiles] will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God."
So other people, predominately Gentiles, will not only enter the kingdom of God based on faith alone in Christ the Messiah alone but they will take places of honor at the banquet alongside the Patriarchs of Israel!
People from all over the world will be saved, Jews and Gentiles alike, (Ro 1:16), and will enter into the kingdom of heaven. Those who were faithful in their service to the Lord will have the tremendous honor, the inestimably grand experience of sitting at the feast with their King and Savior Jesus Christ and all the patriarchs and prophets.
[Lk 13:23-30 cont.]:
"Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."
How you served others with your divine good works and put others before yourself determines how you will be rewarded. The balance of this passage in Luke continues with our Lord's prophesying and lamenting the rejection of Him as Messiah and of the prophets, (vv 34-35). The context of Lk 13:23-35 then has to do with the fact that the Jews will largely reject the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah and that Gentiles who trust in Him as Messiah will be admitted to the kingdom, many to sit the banquet table.
4) DOCTRINAL PASSAGES WHICH INDICATE MOMENTS OF SUFFERING IN HEAVEN
An important rule of interpretation must be stressed here: Let the clear passages dictate and clarify what Scripture is saying. And certainly, doctrinal passages which clearly state a doctrinal principle must dictate and clarify the meaning of a parable on the same principle.
a) 1 COR 3:11-15 SPEAKS OF SUFFERING LOSS
(v. 11) "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
["foundation" = "themelion" = a foundation for a building which one would "lay" and then "build upon".
Salvation is the key to entrance into heaven and the foundation of one's life in heaven which God solely and exclusively builds as a result of one trusting alone in Christ alone, (Eph 1:13-14; 2:8-9)]
(v. 12) Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
[Now once one is saved one then begins to build upon this foundation. One may build with eternally valuable gold, silver and precious stones, i.e., divine good works; or with valueless and destructible wood, hay and straw, i.e., human good works, (or perhaps no works at all - just a sinful lifestyle). The building that a believer's lifestyle is forming upon the foundation of salvation in Christ is representative of the reward that a believer receives when he gets to heaven]
(v. 13) each man's [each believer's, (v. 11)] work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work,
[each man's work will become evident; for the day......................
"the day" = a term which signifies the day when our Lord will return in judgment and rule the earth from Jerusalem, (Isaiah - details of the "Day" described throughout the entire book. 2 Thes 2:1-2 and I Thes 4:13-18 point to the rapture which is the beginning of the "Day" of the Lord]
(v. 13 cont.) each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work,
[Notice that the quality of each believer's work will be tested by fire. What a believer does with his life on earth will then be judged as to whether or not it deserves a reward in heaven. So fire is not just a judgment of the unsaved it is also used by God to judge the value of the deeds of believers' lives]
[1 Cor 3:11-15 cont.]:
(v. 14) If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward,
["it" = the "foundation" of eternal life which is faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, (v.11).
If a believer's work which he has built by what he did with his life on earth survives the test of our Lord as to its eternal value then he will receive a commensurate reward in heaven. The question as to whether the believer's works were of divine origin or not, (Eph 2:10), will be decided by Jesus Christ Himself. Ref. 2 Cor 5:10]
(v. 15) If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire."
["any man's" = 'any believer's', since the context is limited to the population of those who are building on the foundation of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, (v. 11). Notice that if the believer's works were burned up, i.e., if the works did not survive the test of fire, then that believer will actually suffer loss - suffer in heaven for the loss of what he could have received but did not because he wasted his time on earth. But that believer, the Scripture says, will still remain saved unto eternal life, barely entering onto heaven's shores as one escaping to safety from a burning house - without bringing anything out of the burning house but himself. 2 Cor 5:10 supports I Cor 3:11-15 in teaching about the judgment of a Christian's life on earth:
b) 2 COR 5:10 INDICATES DISCIPLINE IS METED OUT
[2 Cor 5:10]:
"For we [believers, v. 5] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or worthless." "recompensed" = given what is due him, i.e., rewarded/disciplined for his deeds whether good deeds or worthless/evil]
"worthless" = "kakon" = "evil"
Notice that here again it is the believer's works which are judged and not his salvation. He is either rewarded or disciplined for what he has done with his earthly life.
c) MARK 8:34-38 INDICATES THAT GOD WILL BE ASHAMED OF UNFAITHFUL BELIEVERS
[Compare Mk 8:34-38]:
(v. 34) "And He summoned the multitude with His disciples and said to them, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
[Notice that our Lord is addressing believers only here since taking up one's cross and following Jesus is out of the questin until one is saved and indwelt with God the Holy Spirit Who enables individuals to serve the Lord in the first place] (v. 35) For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save it. [i.e., preserve the value of it for eternal rewards in heaven]
(v. 36) For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
(v. 37) For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
[And what if a believer is unfaithful and acts ashamed of His Lord and Savior?]:
(v. 38) For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in the adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.' " (cp Lk 9:26)
d) MT 10:33 INDICATES THAT OUR LORD WILL DENY UNFAITHFUL BELIEVERS BEFORE GOD [Cp Mt 10:24, 33]:
(v. 24) "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master." [So the subject is discipliship which is limited to believers]
(v. 33) "But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father Who is in heaven.", (cp Lk 12:9).
e) 2 TIM 2:11-13 INDICATES THAT UNFAITHFUL BELIEVERS WILL BE DISOWNED
Eternally secure but unfaithful believers will be denied before the Father in heaven. This is confirmed by 2 Tim 2:11-13:
[2 Tim 2:11-13]:
(v. 11) "Here is a trustworthy saying:
'For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him;
"For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him" = If, by faith, we become sharers in the death of Christ, then we will also share in His eternal life, (Ro 3:21-24; 6:1-16.
Compare Col 3:1-3:
[Col 3:1-3]:
(v. 1) "If then you have been raised up with Christ,
[If then you were raised up with Christ at the point of trusting in Him for eternal life, (Ro 6:1-10)]
(v. 1 cont.) "If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things that are on earth.
(v. 2) Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
(v. 3) For you have died [with Christ, (cp Ro 6:8)] and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
[If we died with Christ we were saved unto eternal life..... If we died with Christ which is by faith alone in Christ alone, (Jn 3:16; 5:24; Eph 2:8-9), then we will live with Him forever, (Ro 6:1-10). If we received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in us which is our identification with the death of Jesus Christ and its benefits then "we we also live with Him", (Ro 6:8b)]
[2 Tim 2:11-13 cont.]:
(v. 12) If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.......
["If we endure" = If we, who are believers, who are secure in our eternal life, (Eph 1:13-14), endure the difficulties and testing and live a faithful, productive life = full of divine good production....]
(v. 12 cont.) If we endure, we shall also reign with Him...
[If we endure as "endure" is defined above then we believers will not only have eternal life with Jesus Christ in heaven because of our one time expression of faith in Him; but we will also reign, i.e., corule, with Him and receive unimaginably glorious rewards. Compare with Romans 8:16-17:
[Ro 8:16-17]:
(v. 16) "The Spirit Himself with our spirit that we are God's children" [i.e., born again believers]
(v. 17) Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory."
["Now if we [believers] are children, then we are heirs of God [unto eternal life in heaven] and [not only heirs of eternal life in heaven but if we are faithful, as the rest of this verse states, then we are] co-heirs [coinheritors of rulership] with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings [by taking up our own cross, (Mt 16:24-27)] in order that we may also share in His glory."
So it is those believers who "Take up [their] cross and follow" Christ who will reign with Him. Indeed, those who endure by remaining faithful, by abiding in Christ - by producing fruit will also suffer their own peculiar suffering during their lifetime for the sake of Christ. Those believers who do not abide in Christ will not inherit much in heaven when they get there:
[2 Tim 2:11-13 cont.]:
(v. 12 cont.) If we endure, we shall also reign with Him, If we disown Him, He will also disown [disinherit] us,", (cp. Mt 10:33).
"If we disown Him, He will also disown (disinherit) us," = If we believers disown, i.e., disavow Christ's ownership of us by acting in thought, word and deed in disobedience and unfaithfulness, (1 Cor 6:19-20), then Christ will disown our ownership, i.e., our inheritance of eternal rewards and co-rulership with Him, (Col 1:10-12; 3:23-24; Eph 5:5; Gal 5:21).
[2 Tim 2:11-13 cont.]:
(v. 12 cont.) "if we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we disown Him, He will also disown [disinherit] us
(v. 13) "If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself."
"if we [believers] are faithless, He [Jesus Christ] will remain faithful [to His promise that] "if we died with Him, we will also live with Him," (v. 11).
If we believers are faithless toward our Lord, He will nevertheless remain faithful to His promise of eternal life to all who have trusted in Him no matter what, (Jn 3:16: Eph 1:14), because He cannot disown, i.e., disinherit Himself - His Body - the Body of believers to whom He promised eternal life, (Col 1:24). Our Lord cannot deny eternal life to those who have become part of His body forever - the body of Christ - the body of believers whom He indwells forever, the church. The believer's unfaithfulness cannot cause God to deny His own work of salvation.
IX) WHERE THERE WILL BE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH, cont.
[Mt 22:13 cont]:
(v. 13) "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth...' "
C) SUMMARY STATEMENT OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN UNFAITHFUL LIFE FOR THE BELIEVER
Charles C. Bing states, ("The Cost of Discipleship" from the Grace Evangelical Society Journal, vol 6, Spring '93, p. 43:
"The idea of being ashamed of Christ or denying Christ is clarified in some contexts more than in others....Perhaps the greatest clarification comes from...
[Mt 10:32-33]...There Jesus is giving instructions to the Twelve before sending them out to preach the Gospel (Matt 10:5ff). He warns of rejection and persecution (vv 16-25) and encourages them not to fear (vv26-31). Verses 32-33 are also followed by similar warnings about rejection (vv34-36). In vv 32-33 Jesus is both encouraging and warning in the face of the fear off persecution. He wants the disciples to know that anyone who identifies with Him will be rewarded, while anyone who shrinks from this will be denied by Christ before the Father (explained below).
Matthew's context seems a close parallel to that which is signified by Mark's phrase 'in this adulterous and sinful generation' (Mark 8:38).
The consequence of facing someone who is ashamed of or denies Christ is more enigmatic. Does Christ's reciprocal shame and denial of that person at His coming denote a denial of salvation? In correlating Matt 10:32-33 with 16:27, it is clear that the issue is some kind of recompense for one's works...
(Mk 16:27) "For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done."
...Matthew takes care to state that at His coming, Christ 'will reward (apoodosei) each according to his works" (16:27).
That Jesus makes works the basis of the recompense demands that salvation not be the issue
(Eph 2:8-9)...
(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it it the gift of God -
(v. 9) not by works, so that no one can boast."]
Charles C. Bing, (cont. op cit, p. 43):
...Also, the verb 'apoodosei' carries the idea of 'recompense' with no inherent sense of whether it is good or bad, so it could speak of positive reward or negative judgment. In Mark and Luke a negative recompense is suggested...
"If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels." (cp Lk 9:26)
...Those who were too ashamed to identify with Christ will experience Christ's shame. The effect of Christ's shame is not specified, but one could surmise that for a redeemed and now fully-enlightened believer, this would at least produce agonizing regret...[cp Mt 22:1-14; 25:14-30]...In the parallel passage, Matt 10:32-33, the idea of recompense is good (v32) or bad (v. 33) accordingly. Christ's confession (or lack of it) in heaven would not relate to the judgment of our salvation, but to an acknowledgment (or lack of it) before the Father of the disciples' unity or fellowship with Christ which is recompensed in an unspecified but appropriate way. (However, one might compare 2 Tim 2:12, where reigning with Christ is the specific reward.)
[Mt 10:32-33, 37-39 cont]:
(v. 37) "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. (v. 38) And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
["take up his cross and follow Me" = Charles C. Bing states, (op. cit., p.41):
"...Because following another person is a process, a progression, and requires time, this condition cannot speak of entrance into salvation. This would promote salvation by the imitation of Christ or by adherence to His example which would be a salvation of works. It is best taken as a term that describes a continuously committed lifestyle."
"is not worthy of Me" = Not being worthy in this passage does not constitute a condition of being unsaved. The context of this passage speaks of eternally secure believers, (Mt 10:1-5). Only believers can take up their cross in the first place. Unbelievers cannot please God by taking up any cross, (Ro 8:8). First they must be saved before they they do anything! So being unworthy of Christ in this context speaks of a believer who chooses not to follow Jesus as one of His disciples - choosing not to make the necessary sacrifices and not enduring the God ordained hardships, i.e., not taking up his cross].
(v. 39) He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.
[Losing one's life = turning the control of one's life over to the sovereign will of God. By living according to the will of God, (which is contained in His Word), one is rewarded on earth with an inner happiness and confidence that God will carry them every step of the way through life, into heaven and on into eternity, especially in light of the confidence a faithful believer has in going to heaven and receiving indescribably wonderful rewards. One who has lost his life to the sovereignty of God has found the real purpose of his life for which he was created, (Eph 2:10). This new found purpose brings love, joy and peace to a child of God's earthly life when he is aligned with the purpose of the great Almighty God of the universe Who provides that love, joy and peace. The peace and inner happiness is based on Who God is and His indescribably wonderful promises.
Charles C. Bing, (op. cit., pp. 42-43):
"...When Jesus says 'whoever loses his life for My sake,' the sense is certainly not eternal destruction, for He says this one will then 'find it,' which is something good. Conversely, it fits well that what one may lose when he tries to save his life (preserve himself from the hardships of self-denial and cross-bearing) is life in the essential qualitative sense (i.e., experiencing God's life in this life, John 17:3), not the eternal soul. The paradox Jesus used has great meaning. What He appears to be saying is this: 'Whoever desires to preserve himself from the hardships of God's will of self-denial and cross-bearing will in fact forfeit the essential quality (= true spiritual value) of the present life he is trying to preserve. On the other hand, whoever forfeits himself to God's will of self-denial and hardships will discover the greater essential quality (spiritual value) of the present life he was willing to forfeit.' This interpretation would therefore not describe eternal salvation, but a higher quality of experience with God in this life, with implications for the eschatological life [future & eternal life]..."
X) MANY ARE INVITED BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN
(v. 13) "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,'
(v. 14) For many are invited but few are chosen.' "
"For many are invited, but few are chosen." =
"For many" = All men are called by God to trust in His Son as Savior and walk a faithful walk with the Lord during their earthly lifetime:
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
And God is not willing that any should perish in the sense of having the full appointed length and value of their lives, their souls, perish due to an unfaithful lifestyle while they lived out their mortal lives on the earth:
(v. 18) "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.
[i.e., this passage has believers unto eternal life in view]
(v. 19) This you know, my beloved brethren [i.e., believers]. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;
(v. 20) for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
[So believers who are secure in their eternal destiny as the firstfruits of eternal life are exhorted to lead righteous and faithful lives]:
(v. 21) Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls."
(v. 34) "And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
[Note that the subject here is discipleship not salvation, for it requires faithful works of the disciples, i.e., believers, (Ref. Eph 2:8-9)]
(v. 35) For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it;
[i.e., whoever holds on to self centered interests as their life's goals instead of giving their life in service to God will waste the value of that life and thereby lose it]
but whoever loses his life for My sake = [i.e., whoever gives it in service to the Lord] and the gospel's shall save it.
(v. 36) For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?"
Although these are believers whose souls will go to heaven they still must lead faithful lives so that they will not lose their souls in another sense: relative to the appointed number of years they are given to live, (Ref. Pr 3:1-2), and to the value of their lives when they do get to heaven.
If they do not heed such exhortation their lives will be cut short and/or they will suffer loss of rewards in heaven including being excluded from their own wedding banquet.
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