Questions about the Wedding Parable of Matthew 22

[Richard Amiel McGough]

The Wedding Parable of Matthew 22:

Matthew 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 "and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 "Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding." ' 5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 "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.' 10 "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. 11 ¶ "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

Questions:

1. Who is the King?
2. Who is the Son?
3. Who are the servants?
4. Who are the guests that rejected the invitation?
5. Who are the guests brought in from the street?
6. Who is the guest without a garment?
7. Who is the bride, and why is she not mentioned?

The first two questions are rather obvious - God the Father and Jesus. The rest of the answers don't seem so obvious ... especially the seventh.

And remember, this parable was told long before the Gospel went out to the Gentiles, so it seems anachronistic to suggest that any of the players in the story refer to them. None of the folks Christ was speaking to would have thought any of them were Gentiles.

[throwback]

Questions:

Who is the King?
Who is the Son?
Who are the servants?
Who are the guests that rejected the invitation?
Who are the guests brought in from the street?
Who is the guest without a garment?
Who is the bride, and why is she not mentioned?

The servants would appears to be the apostles and prophets sent to tell the people God's message.
The invited guests seem to be those Jewish leaders and there fathers that Jesus spoke of in the following chapter in verses 29 thru 36.
The guest brought from the streets are likely a reference to the same group of outsiders (tax collectors and whores) spoken of in chapter 21 verses 31 and 32. In addition verse 9 seems to indicate that this group was inclusive of the lost of Israel as well as people of the nations.
As far as the guest without a garment, GUESS would be someone who wishes to make it into the Kingdom without properly acknowledging the Son, but that is just a guess I cannot prove or back up with much evidence.
As far as the bride is concerned, though she is not mentioned, can't we reasonably conclude that exist because in order for there to be a wedding feast there must be both a bride and a bridegroom?

Here's a question I have: When is/was the wedding banquet? This is an area where I may lean with the futurists...........

[throwback]

The servants would appears to be the apostles and prophets sent to tell the people God's message.

The invited guests seem to be those Jewish leaders and there fathers that Jesus spoke of in the following chapter in verses 29 thru 36.

The guest brought from the streets are likely a reference to the same group of outsiders (tax collectors and whores) spoken of in chapter 21 verses 31 and 32. In addition verse 9 seems to indicate that this group was inclusive of the lost of Israel as well as people of the nations.

As far as the guest without a garment, GUESS would be someone who wishes to make it into the Kingdom without properly acknowledging the Son, but that is just a guess I cannot prove or back up with much evidence.

As far as the bride is concerned, though she is not mentioned, can't we reasonably conclude that exist because in order for there to be a wedding feast there must be both a bride and a bridegroom?

It is my understanding that ANE people, specifically the children of Israel had a wedding tradition of the groom and his bride showing up at the wedding feast together after having consummated their union.
With this being the case, I find it very likely that no one mentioned in this story is the bride and that the bride is represented by a group that the bridegroom came for and snatched away PRIOR to the banquet.

[gilgal]

It is my understanding that ANE people, specifically the children of Israel had a wedding tradition of the groom and his bride showing up at the wedding feast together after having consummated their union.
With this being the case, I find it very likely that no one mentioned in this story is the bride and that the bride is represented by a group that the bridegroom came for and snatched away PRIOR to the banquet.

Matthew 22:1 KJV - And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Matthew 22:2 KJV - The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
Matthew 22:3 KJV - And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Matthew 22:4 KJV - Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and [my] fatlings [are] killed, and all things [are] ready: come unto the marriage.
Matthew 22:5 KJV - But they made light of [it], and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
Matthew 22:6 KJV - And the remnant took his servants, and entreated [them] spitefully, and slew [them].
Matthew 22:7 KJV - But when the king heard [thereof], he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Now this is where the scripture contradicts our Teleevangelicals and futurists:

Matthew 22:8 KJV - Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Matthew 22:9 KJV - Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
Matthew 22:10 KJV - So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Matthew 22:11 KJV - And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Matthew 22:12 KJV - And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Matthew 22:13 KJV - Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 22:14 KJV - For many are called, but few [are] chosen.

They take this as the rapture. It's true that the blood of Jesus makes our garment pure. But as mentioned in Jude and the other epistles that there are people in the church who are not pure. Or the parable of the wheat and the tares where during the harvest or judgment day they will be separated. But no rapture.

So I'm no Preterist and no Futurist but a bit of both

But I'm thinking that the people who have crept in unawares were spies as mentioned in Galatians desiring Christians to get circumcised and give a heavy burden on them but don't know Jesus Christ nor his gospel at all. They are members for political reasons or for personal gain...

[CWH]

The Wedding Parable of Matthew 22:

Matthew 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 "and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 "Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding." ' 5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 "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.' 10 "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. 11 ¶ "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

Questions:

1. Who is the King?
2. Who is the Son?
3. Who are the servants?
4. Who are the guests that rejected the invitation?
5. Who are the guests brought in from the street?
6. Who is the guest without a garment?
7. Who is the bride, and why is she not mentioned?

The first two questions are rather obvious - God the Father and Jesus. The rest of the answers don't seem so obvious ... especially the seventh.

And remember, this parable was told long before the Gospel went out to the Gentiles, so it seems anachronistic to suggest that any of the players in the story refer to them. None of the folks Christ was speaking to would have thought any of them were Gentiles.

The parable is not difficult to interpret from the Futurist's point of view. The context is about many are called but few are chosen to enter into the kingdom of God. It goes like this:

2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 "and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.
The kingdom of God is like an arranged marriage in heaven in which God will get His angels and His people to seek people (the Jews) to come into the kingdom of heaven but they were not willing to come.

4 "Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding."
God also sent his people, priests, apostles, missionaries to encourage those (Jews) who are eligible for the kingdom of God by letting them know that everything has been well prepared to accept them into the kingdom of heaven.

5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.
But those who were eligible for the kingdom of heaven (the Jews) were ignorant or were more interested with their own daily life on earth and even persecuted and killed the apostles, priests and missionaries.

7 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
But God was angry that they killed His people, apostles, priests and missionaries who were sent to invite them into the kingdom of heaven and He sent his angels to punish them in revenge.

8 "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.'
God said that since those eligible are not worthy for the kingdom of heaven then invite all including the Gentiles into the kingdom of heaven

10 "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.
So God's people and angels gather all both good and bad(repented) into into a hall in heaven until it was full.

11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.
When God was doing His judgement, He saw a group of Christians who manage to get into the heaven hall but however were not pure and did not do His will. These Christians who claimed to love God were stunt to see God questioning them.

13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."
These false Christians who confess to love God were thrown into punishment.

This is related to Matthew 7:

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.........
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’


May God lead us through the narrow gate, Amen .

[Richard Amiel McGough]

The parable is not difficult to interpret from the Futurist's point of view. The context is about many are called but few are chosen to enter into the kingdom of God. It goes like this:

2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 "and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.
The kingdom of God is like an arranged marriage in heaven in which God will get His angels and His people to seek people (the Jews) to come into the kingdom of heaven but they were not willing to come.

4 "Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding."
God also sent his people, priests, apostles, missionaries to encourage those (Jews) who are eligible for the kingdom of God by letting them know that everything has been well prepared to accept them into the kingdom of heaven.

5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.
But those who were eligible for the kingdom of heaven (the Jews) were ignorant or were more interested with their own daily life on earth and even persecuted and killed the apostles, priests and missionaries.

7 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
But God was angry that they killed His people, apostles, priests and missionaries who were sent to invite them into the kingdom of heaven and He sent his angels to punish them in revenge.

8 "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.'
God said that since those eligible are not worthy for the kingdom of heaven then invite all including the Gentiles into the kingdom of heaven

10 "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.
So God's people and angels gather all both good and bad(repented) into into a hall in heaven until it was full.

11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.
When God was doing His judgement, He saw a group of Christians who manage to get into the heaven hall but however were not pure and did not do His will. These Christians who claimed to love God were stunt to see God questioning them.

13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."
These false Christians who confess to love God were thrown into punishment.

This is related to Matthew 7:

13 'Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.........
21 'Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’


May God lead us through the narrow gate, Amen .

What about these verses:

Matt 22:5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies [Romans led by Titus], destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city [Fulfilled in 70 AD].

Seems to fit pretty well with the Preterist understanding.

[CWH]

What about these verses:

Matt 22:5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies [Romans led by Titus], destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city [Fulfilled in 70 AD].

Seems to fit pretty well with the Preterist understanding.

It's absurd to even think that God's armies destroy His own people and burn up His own city. Were the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem God's armies? And the king is not Titus but God. And where in the Bible did it says AD 70?

"[B]But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies [Romans led by Titus], destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city [Fulfilled in 70 AD]

Who is the King? Father God of the Trinity
Who is the Son? Jesus/Messiah of the Trinity
Who are the servants? God's people who serves God such as apostles, priests, missionaries.
Who are the guests that rejected the invitation? The unbelieving Jews.
Who is the guest without a garment? The Christians who did not do the will of the Father in heaven They are called friend because they were Christians but who did not wear the garment of covenant with God (wedding garment = pure covenant)
Who is the bride, and why is she not mentioned? Not mentioned because the event has yet to come. The bride are those who managed to make it into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.



Be thou my Wisdom and thou my True Word, Amen.

[Brother Les]

Ram
Matt 22:5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies [Romans led by Titus], destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city [Fulfilled in 70 AD].

Seems to fit pretty well with the Preterist understanding.

It's absurd to even think that God's armies destroy His own people and burn up His own city. Were the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem God's armies? And the king is not Titus but God. And where in the Bible did it says AD 70?

Ram
"[B]But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies [Romans led by Titus], destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city [Fulfilled in 70 AD]

Who is the King? Father God of the Trinity
Who is the Son? Jesus/Messiah of the Trinity
Who are the servants? God's people who serves God such as apostles, priests, missionaries.
Who are the guests that rejected the invitation? The unbelieving Jews.
Who is the guest without a garment? The Christians who did not do the will of the Father in heaven They are called friend because they were Christians but who did not wear the garment of covenant with God (wedding garment = pure covenant)
Who is the bride, and why is she not mentioned? Not mentioned because the event has yet to come. The bride are those who managed to make it into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.



Be thou my Wisdom and thou my True Word, Amen.

You seem to have two conflicting answers. You said,

It's absurd to even think that God's armies destroy His own people and burn up His own city. Were the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem God's armies? And the king is not Titus but God. And where in the Bible did it says AD 70?

You infer that God will not destroy his own people and burn up His city..... God in the pasted had destroyed Samaria/Ephraim and had sifted them to the nations for their rebellion. They were all of 'Israelites' (Gods People) and yet He destroyed them. Like wise with Jerusalem and the unbelieving Jews, they rejected the invitation and were destroyed for their rebellion. The Jerusalem from below was no longer Gods 'city'for it is as Sodom and Eypt and Babylon (out of Babylon can the Rabbinical Babylonian Talmand that went against Gods Laws and became mans laws), it is the Jerusalem from above that is Gods city. Why would you even think to elude that Titus may be thought of as 'the king'? Titus was the 'son' of a king, Vespasian, in the flesh and did his bidding. But it also seems that Titus did the will of God in destroying Gods adversaries in the people, the place and the temple that persecuted The Sect of The Way, ie Christians.

[Richard Amiel McGough]

What about these verses:

Matt 22:5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies [Romans led by Titus], destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city [Fulfilled in 70 AD].

Seems to fit pretty well with the Preterist understanding.

It's absurd to even think that God's armies destroy His own people and burn up His own city. Were the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem God's armies? And the king is not Titus but God. And where in the Bible did it says AD 70?

Actually, the true absurdity is your ignorance of the Bible. God used the Assyrians to destroy the ten northern tribes, and then used the Babylonians to destroy his city Jerusalem and his own Temple in 586 BC.

And your question "Where in the Bible does it say 70 AD?" is painfully moronic. The dating system based upon "AD" did not exist at the time the Bible was written. I can't believe anyone could ask such an absurd question, let alone repeat it after being corrected. What is going on? Do you delight in appearing stupid? Is that your purpose in life?

[heb13-13]

What about these verses:

Matt 22:5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies [Romans led by Titus], destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city [Fulfilled in 70 AD].

Seems to fit pretty well with the Preterist understanding.

It becomes a timeless statement for every generation when "armies" are the Powers of Darkness.

City is the congregation of the unrighteousness.

Guests without garments are thieves, robbers and murderers.

John 10:1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

John 10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

The thief comes to murder.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (murderers): I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The Garment is the robe of righteousness, part of the Garments of Salvation.

Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

The GARMENTS of SALVATION are JESUS CHRIST.


Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Kindly,
Rick