The Invitations — (Matthew 22:1-12)

We have here the third and last parable in a series which teaches about the transition from the Jewish Age into the Gospel Age. This one has its particular focus on Gospel-Age privileges which are declined by those who cannot break their ties to Judaism. Then, the parable shows how some at the end of the Gospel Age will do similarly.

There seems an inseparable link between this parable and the two given just before it. They should be considered as a trio. The TWO SONS parable (21:28-31) is designed to show how Israel will be divided as to its acceptance and rejection of Messiah. It is akin to John’s prophecy that Messiah would baptize the nation with the Holy Spirit and with fire. This “Two Sons” parable tells which group would get which baptism.

The VINEYARD parable (21:33-41) stresses the reason for Israel’s failure — poor stewardship and ungodly behavior. The vineyard is then turned over to new stewards (Gentiles).

Now, the final parable in the series, THE INVITATIONS (21:1-14), explains how Israel’s refusal to accept Messiah necessitated the invitation to others (Gentiles) to fill the needed number. The parable ends with a situation JUST LIKE that of the other two parables — a group of FRAUDULENT followers.

This parable poses a number of subtle problems in its interpretation — particularly toward its end. Bro. Russell’s focus and interpretation was intensified and prompted by his experiences with Barbour. (See R. 3823.) The interpretive difficulty primarily is in discerning whether the end of the parable deals only with a spirit-begotten class, with wheat versus tares, or with both situations. We will examine the hints as they arise in the text.

A brief summary of the parable’s chronological construction will be helpful before looking at its detail.

Verses 1-3 refer to the period from Jesus’ baptism until Pentecost.

Verses 4-7 refer to the period from Pentecost until Cornelius — with an obvious extension to include the A.D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem.

Verses 8-10 refer to the bulk of the Gospel Age — from Cornelius to the Lord’s  return (the Harvest).

Verses 11-14 detail events of the Harvest period.

22:1-3. The previous two parables did not begin with “The Kingdom of Heaven…” The use of the phrase here is an initial hint that, while the parable begins with Israel, it is primarily about what replaces Israel as the Divine plan progresses. Israel was offered an invitation to become the spiritual seed of Abraham, but their collective refusal ensured that others would be invited. So, “The Kingdom of Heaven” — in its Gospel-Age incipient stage — is the real subject of this parable.

The King is God, Himself. The very purpose of the Gospel Age is to prepare for the “wedding” for His son, Jesus. The reason that the saints are referred to as “guests” rather than as the “Bride” should be obvious. The parable is dealing with a large number of people. The use of “Bride” simply would not fit! A Bride cannot be divided. Besides, the point of the parable is the PREPARATION, not the EVENT.

The invitations to the event are first sent to the entire Jewish nation during the three-and-a-half-year ministry of Jesus. He went to “his own,” but his own “received him not” — the equivalent of “They were unwilling to come.”

The prophecy of Daniel 9 chronologically fits this parable perfectly. The first half of the seventieth week is the presence of Messiah. He is “cut off” in its midst — a PROOF that the Jews didn’t receive him! But during the next half-week, he anoints the most holy ones of Israel with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That period is the subject of verses 4-6.

22:4-6. This parable is not about the faithful remnant of Jews who do receive Messiah. They were insufficient in number to fill the “wedding hall.” But they did constitute a part of the ultimate guest list — “But to as many as did receive him, he gave the power to become the sons of God.”

Thus verse 4 begins in the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week — A.D. 33. It is the spirit-begotten Apostles and the faithful-remnant disciples who spend three-and-a-half- years yet focusing on Israelites who might accept the Gospel message. Thus the reference to the “butchered” livestock. The disciples of this half-week can point to Jesus’ sacrifice. But most of Israel continued to ignore the call — “they paid no attention.” Their attentions were absorbed by their land or their connections to their temporal welfare. And some (like Saul of Tarsus!) persecuted and even killed the disciples.

22:7. God was not pleased with their behavior! And true to the prediction by Daniel (and by Jesus in Luke 21:20), the Roman armies fulfilled God’s wrath toward Israel by destroying “those murderers and (by) set(ting) their city on fire” (A.D. 70).

22:8-10. These verses epitomize the work from Cornelius to the Harvest — the bulk of the Gospel Age.

“The wedding is ready” is a phrase which functionally says, “My plans will not change. There will be a wedding even though those originally invited have refused to come.”

So, Christians are given the commission to “Go, therefore, to the main highways” — the rest of the world. The invitation has gone out for nearly two millennia on a rather large scale.

Invitations to the “high calling” are provided by God only to those who do or will first profess a consecration to righteousness based on faith in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. Thus, we must not assume that invitations were given without regard to some provisos.

We bring this up because it may be key to the primary meaning of the end of this parable. Verse 14, Jesus’ final words in this sequence, has our Lord saying that “many are called, but few are chosen.” It is consistent throughout the New Testament that the CALL is from Plane N to come upward. (See Appendix A.) Plane M (spirit-begettal) is the plane referred to by the word CHOSEN. This does not mean ultimate success! “Chosen” means ACCEPTANCE AS BEING IN THE RUNNING. Ultimate success is represented in the word FAITHFUL. Hence, in Revelation 17:14, we have the ultimate sequence: the CALLED, the CHOSEN, and the FAITHFUL.

Jesus’ stating the lesson of the parable (22:14) as being a contrast between the “calling” (plane N) and the “chosen” (plane M), just about ensures that the division of persons in verses 11 and 12 is a division of wheat from tares.

Verse 10 provides additional information. Who are the “evil and good”? There seem only two possibilities: (1) The “evil” are tares, and the “good” are wheat; (2) The “evil” are Second Death candidates, and the “good” are the Bride class. In this second scenario, the Great Multitude would have to be ignored. We cannot assume the “evil” are Great Multitude because they (Great Multitude) do have “wedding garments,” and they don’t take them off! We think this parable is dealing with option 1.

This would make a paraphrase of verse 10 read something like this:

When the age was concluding, and both wheat and tares were growing together, the date arrived when the full number of “high calling” invitations had been accepted, and open invitations ceased. It was now time to check Christendom’s credentials.

22:11, 12. “When the king came in” — when and who is this? The “king,” when the parable opens, is God. At this verse, it seems more like Jesus. But this may not be a problem. A king’s son will ultimately also be a king. Indeed, God is always a king, but Jesus is also a king upon his return. This seems a small point for quibbling! The “king” continuing to represent God is not a problem. The entire Gospel-Age scenario is His design. Jesus administers it.

Jesus “came in” in 1874. For three-and-a-half-years he “looked over the dinner guests.” When the king came in, (with his first priority being the examination of Christianity), he cast off (1878) the system and gave its inhabitants a little grace period (until 1881), until the number he needed had been attained. This is very much parallel to his treatment of natural Israel during Daniel’s seventieth week. (See Revelation 18:2-4.)

Verse 11 becomes a vital part of the narrative. (Compare Zephaniah 1:7, 8.) If this part of the parable is about the separation of wheat and tares, this verse shows that the king immediately began distinguishing true from counterfeit. Jesus, in Matthew 13, had clearly stated that wheat and tares should be left to grow together until the Harvest. In 22:11 we are in the Harvest, and the King’s prohibition against separation is no longer valid. The distinction between Plane N and Plane M must now be made. Tares must be rooted out. “You are on Plane N, you have no wedding garment!” Hence:

“Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?” In other words, tares were never a part of the “wedding hall” — they just THOUGHT they were invited. The word “friend” may be significant. Plane N dwellers are “friends.” They just don’t belong in the wedding hall. And when the time comes which is exclusively for those on Plane M, all others must be evicted. This tare “was speechless.” Nominal Christians during the Harvest have no answers.

22:13. The “tare” is BOUND — exactly — what was to be done to tares in Matthew 13:30. The binding is “hand and foot” — both his doings and his goings in the name of Christ are functionally ended. (Compare Matthew 7:22, 23.) The outer darkness — lack of light due to being outside the Harvest hall — is the condition of tares until they are burned. Burning the tares, of course, is their REALIZATION that their professions have been spurious. That has not yet happened. When it does, the traditional symbol for intense disappointment and chagrin will ensue: “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

22:14. We must review what has been said earlier regarding this verse. It is Jesus’ PURPOSE-SUMMARY for the parable. Hence it begins with “For” — BECAUSE. And what is the “because”? The whole invitation process with its successes and failures is BECAUSE many will have been “called” from Plane N, but will have decided to remain there. Only a few will attain Plane M and receive spirit- begettal — and, hence, an authorized seat in the “wedding hall.”