GM,
I assume that you will be receiving many postings with your inquiry. I snuck onto 5 doves this morning before having to make a dash out the door to get to work. I read your post. I got excited. I went to work today with the anticipation of rereading over the Matt. account when I got home and then writing what I have learned over the years. As I reread your posting tonight, I realized that you are possibly more interested in Matt 24 and 25, but after reading Matt. 22-25, I see why those early chapters are important to comment on first.
Matt. 22 parable starts with "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son." Believe it or not, this takes us all the way back to the book of Genesis and Adam and Eve. In those first days in the garden, Adam had much work to do under God's direction but he comes to the conclusion, during these efforts, that he is minus a helpmeet. God was allowing Adam to come to that conclusion for a reason. He was establishing a precedent that would carry through mans history. He said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over........ vs. 28 Then God said, "I give you every......"
God established that the rule over the earth would be through a husband and wife relationship. The rulership was given to man in an unfallen state, and even though he is no longer as fit to rule, the decree still holds. Man had plenty of time to try to successfully govern the earth in his now fallen state, the ending resulting being the flood. Man is allowed to start over and God, keeping within his decree, offers more. God, in His love, comes to a people - the people of Abraham and chooses them for His bride. They are singled out in Egypt to be his wife, they go through the offering of the pascal lamb, get all the info on how to rule at Mt. Sinai. They are led to a land in which to establish a kingdom where God's very presence is to dwell. All humanity is given the opportunity to be blessed through this ruling relationship, but fallen man once again fails. Jer. 3:6-8 ""Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries." This relationship was over.
Now for a third try, but we have changed the perimeter. It will involve bringing the Kingdom of heaven down to earth. But before the kingdom of heaven can come to earth to rule, a husband and wife relationship has to be established, and Christ comes looking for a bride. This heavenly kingdom was being offered to Israel- the chosen nation ( Matt 3:1,2) Christ royal deity is declared by God where He states that Jesus is His Son, Matt. 3:17. Jesus goes about picking his right hand men(the picking of the 12 disciples- 12 denoting rulership) and now needed to find Israel in agreement with his quest. Once procuring a bride, he would be in a position to rule, as designed by God, in the Genesis account. But as you know, the religious rulers of the day would have nothing of it. Whether they were blinded or whether they were not willing to give their power over the people to another????, they tried to influence the populace away from what Christ was offering. Matt. 21:43 Christ tells them "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." Matt 23:13 "Woe to you, teacher of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to."
See how this all fits in with the parable in Matt. 22. The wedding banquet is ready but the invited quests don't wish to come. (Israel refusing to accept the invitation being presented by Christ), the servants sent to get the guests(prophets in the OT. and ending with Gods Son in the NT) are mistreated and killed, the Father is enraged and burns the city (70 AD?) Then the Father sends his servants to compel those who had no initial invitation to come. (The start of the age of grace) These are called individually and those heeding the call attend the wedding banquet. But even within those who are called friends,(vs 12) they must have the right wedding clothes on if they wish to be a part of the banquet. During this age of grace, we have learned that a Christian can not only be covered by the righteousness of Christ, but they can also be clothed in their righteous acts. These are acts that the Holy Spirit does through a believer, for nothing done in our flesh can be considered anything other than contaminated. It is the out flowing of the Spirit in us that weaves the cloth of our wedding garment. What a beautiful picture, what a beautiful story.
And so the parables go on....always about that Kingdom waiting to come to earth. Bits and pieces are present now through each believer, but the ruler in all His power and majesty, will not rule until his has aquired a bride. Each parable sheds more light on this process and is writen to those who have the eyes to see and ears to hear.
Thank you for asking....I so enjoyed this evenings study!!!
Blessings, YSIC, Laurie