Thematic Bible: What the coming of the lord is likened to


Thematic Bible



Then shall the Realm of heaven be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride. Five of them were stupid and five were sensible. For although the stupid took their lamps, they took no oil with them, read more.
whereas the sensible took oil in their vessels as well as their lamps. As the bridegroom was long of coming, they all grew drowsy and went to sleep. But at midnight the cry arose, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all the maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. The stupid said to the sensible, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the sensible replied, 'No, there may not be enough for us and for you. Better go to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' Now while they were away buying oil, the bridegroom arrived; those maidens who were ready accompanied him to the marriage-banquet, and the door was shut. Afterwards the rest of the maidens came and said, 'Oh sir, oh sir, open the door for us!' but he replied, 'I tell you frankly, I do not know you.' Keep on the watch then, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Take care, keep awake and pray; you never know the time. It is like a man leaving his house to go abroad; he puts his servants in charge, each with his work to do, and he orders the porter to keep watch. Watch then, for you never know when the Lord of the House will come, in the late evening or at midnight or at cock-crow or in the morning. read more.
Watch, in case he comes suddenly and finds you asleep. Watch: I say it to you, and I say it to all."

Keep your loins girt and your lamps lit, and be like men who are expecting their lord and master on his return from a marriage-banquet, so as to open the door for him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the lord and master finds awake when he comes! I tell you truly, he will gird himself, make them recline at table, and come forward to wait on them. read more.
Whether he comes in the second or the third watch of the night and finds them thus alert, blessed are they! Be sure that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. So be ready yourselves, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

He went on to tell a parable in their hearing, as he was approaching Jerusalem and as they imagined God's Reign would instantly come into view. "A nobleman," he said, "went abroad to obtain royal power for himself and then return. He first called his ten servants, giving them each a five-pound note, and telling them, 'Trade with this till I come back.' read more.
Now his people hated him and sent envoys after him to say, 'We object to him having royal power over us.' However he secured the royal power and came home. Then he ordered the servants to be called who had been given the money, that he might find out what business they had done. The first came up saying, 'Your five pounds has made other fifty, sir.' 'Capital,' he said, 'you excellent servant! because you have proved trustworthy in a trifle, you are placed over ten towns.' Then the second came and said, 'Your five pounds has made twenty-five, sir.' To him he said, 'And you are set over five towns.' Then the next came and said, 'Here is your five pounds, sir; I kept it safe in a napkin, for I was afraid of you, you are such a hard man ??picking up what you never put down, and reaping what you never sowed.' He replied, 'You rascal of a servant, I will convict you by what you have said yourself. You knew, did you, that I was a hard man, picking up what I never put down, and reaping what I never sowed! Why then did you not put my money into the bank, so that I could have got it with interest when I came back?' Then he said to the bystanders, 'Take the five pounds from him and give it to the man with fifty.' 'Sir,' they said, 'he has fifty already!' 'I tell you, to everyone who has shall more be given, but from him who has nothing, even what he has shall be taken. And now for these enemies of mine who objected to me reigning over them ??bring them here and slay them in my presence.' "

And he told them a parable. "Look at the fig tree and indeed all the trees; as soon as they put out their leaves, you can see for yourselves that summer is at hand. So, whenever you see all this happen, be sure the Reign of God is at hand. read more.
I tell you truly, the present generation will not pass away till all this happens. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words never. Take heed to yourselves in case your hearts get overpowered by dissipation and drunkenness and worldly anxieties, and so that Day catches you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all dwellers on the face of all the earth. From hour to hour keep awake, praying that you may succeed in escaping all these dangers to come and in standing before the Son of man."