Estimated reading time: 5.5 minutes
Continued from Part #2.
Verse Seven: But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
This judgment, upon Jerusalem, although here in parable, was pronounced by Christ in a forthright prophecy in Matthew 23:37-38 and Luke 13:34-35. The judgment reads: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
Speaking to the twelve concerning the judgement upon the Jews, Jesus said: “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2).
In A.D. 70 the Roman general Titus, who was the son of Emperor Vespasian, lay siege to Jerusalem. The siege was a climax of the revolt which started in A.D. 66 when Eleazar ben Simon, the captain of the temple issued a proclamation stating that the temple would no longer make sacrifice for Caesar. This of course meant that the daily sacrifices offered in behalf of Rome would cease. This was viewed as an act of rebellion. Four years later Titus brought an army of 65,000 men against Jerusalem. That this was the army referred to in Jesus’ parable is clear enough. This would not be the first time that Yahweh utilize an army of Israel’s enemy to carryout judgment against Israel and call it His army. Previously (cirta A.D. 66), in a campaign against Jerusalem led by Cestius Gallus, after a siege of only nine days, for reasons known only to himself, Cestius withdrew the Roman armies to the coast. During this time the Christians escaped from Jerusalem, and as a consequence, suffered no loss during the campaign of Titus four years later.
As we have seen, Jesus had foretold Jerusalem’s destruction by both the parable (which we are studying here) and His prophecy (of Matthew chapter 24). However, it would have been difficult, even with the prophecy, to have foreseen the total destruction that was brought upon the city of the people who had rejected Him. Titus ordered the city, along with the temple, to be raised. According to Josephus, the Jewish historian, this was accomplished completely. The people were either killed or sold as slaves. The leaders of Jerusalem’s defenses, John of Gischala and Simon bar Giora, were taken to Rome where Simon was executed and John was imprison for life. The fields around the city were sown with salt to prevent the growing of crops. The Tenth Roman Legion (the Legion of the Boer) was garrisoned in the ruins of the city to prevent the Jews from returning. The Legion of the Boer remained in Jerusalem for over 200 years before being transferred.
Verses Eight and Nine: Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’
In Acts 18:5-6 we read, “When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. 6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’”
This was a pivotal point for the focus of evangelism. The church was refocusing its missionary and evangelistic outreach and turning to the Gentiles (“going into the highways”). Acts 28:25-27 is very characteristic of this time, and captures the mood and spirit of the refocusing quite well. This is how Luke recorded Paul’s discourse to the Jewish elders in Rome: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, 26 saying, ‘Go to this people and say: “Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; 27 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’”
Verse Ten. So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
The use of the term “highways” speaks of all the world. The wedding is furnished with both “bad” and “good” from all of the earth. Unlike before, when only a privileged few could even be invited, now everyone is welcome. The invitation read, and continues to read: “the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17). Paul writes to Titus, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,” (Titus 2:11).
“All men” means “both bad and good.” The Gospel message is to both morally upright and the morally deficient. Paul further writes: “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5). The wedding takes the good, the bad, and the ugly– washes them clean and dresses them in a wedding garment: fresh, clean and white so that the shame of their nakedness of sin (Rev 3:18) does not appear. Paul writes to the Corinthians and reminds them of who and what they were, formerly. He causes them to recall who they were before they were washed, sanctified and justified, Some of their number (some, not all; illustrating the principle of bad and good being received into the wedding) were fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers and even extortioners. All were bidden to the banquet. The invitation of Revelation 22:17 is very broad: A. The invitation is given by both the Holy Spirit and the Church: i.e. Spirit and the bride; B. Even those which hear the invitation are themselves to invite others; C. Any that are thirsty, and finally; D. Whosoever will.
A secondary application of the “bad and good” is considered in the fact that there are hypocrites in the kingdom of God (Matt 7:21-23). The thirteenth chapter of Matthew contains two parables which would illustrate this view. First the parable of the wheat and tares show that the bad seed which the enemy (Satan) sowed into the field (the kingdom of heaven) would be permitted to grow along with the good seed until the harvest. Secondly, the parable of the drag-net (Matt 13:47). In this analogy the net (Gospel invitation) is cast into the sea (all peoples of the earth). When the net is brought into the ship (the kingdom of heaven) there are all manner of creatures it. The good are kept, the bad thrown away. In both of these parables the culling process is at the end of the church age. And so it is in our parable: the king finds the garment-less wedding guest just prior to entering the Marriage Supper.
To be continued.
After spending over forty years in the dispensational doctrine, and having raise my children in that theological framework, I became a convinced adherent to a "kingdom" theology that recognizes the Church as the Israel of God, and that the first century actually saw the fulfillment of most of Matthew chapter 24. "Letters to My Children on Apostolic Kingdom Theology" is a compilation of twenty four letters written to my children explaining my journey. These "Letters" provide a systematic approach to Apostolic Eschatological study of Scripture. It is sure to interest all students of Scriptures
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT BY PURCHASING MY BOOKS FOR YOUR LIBRARY. -JLH
Order your personal copy today from the link provided here:
https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Children-Apostolic-Kingdom-Theology/dp/1482716712/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_2?keywords=Letters%2C+Bishop+Jerry+hayes&qid=1558365492&s=books&sr=1-2-fkmrnull
The Apocalypse, is the introduction to the biblical book of Revelation. Here Bishop Hayes also gives a verse by verse commentary of the first three chapters of the Apostle John's Revelation of Jesus Christ, covering the letters addressed to the seven churches of Asia Minor. The Bible student will thrill at the Bishop's easy evangelistic style of presenting deep and unique truths never before published. In this study a wealth of information will be shared with the disciples of Christ on each verse of this great manuscript.
Own your personal copy of this enlightening work by ordering at the link provided here:https://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Introduction-Epistles-Seven-Churches/dp/1686423152/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Bishop+Jerry+Hayes%2C+Apocalypse&qid=1568308793&s=books&sr=1-1
The Apocalypse, is the introduction to the biblical book of Revelation. Here Bishop Hayes also gives a verse by verse commentary of the first three chapters of the Apostle John's Revelation of Jesus Christ, covering the letters addressed to the seven churches of Asia Minor. The Bible student will thrill at the Bishop's easy evangelistic style of presenting deep and unique truths never before published. In this study a wealth of information will be shared with the disciples of Christ on each verse of this great manuscript.
Own your personal copy of this enlightening work by ordering at the link provided here:https://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Introduction-Epistles-Seven-Churches/dp/1686423152/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Bishop+Jerry+Hayes%2C+Apocalypse&qid=1568308793&s=books&sr=1-1
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT BY PURCHASING MY BOOKS FOR YOUR LIBRARY. -JLH
Be sure to listen and subscribe to the Bishop's Podcast: Apostolic Bishop, at:
No comments:
Post a Comment