The Epic Life - Bob Hallman

The meaning of the parables:
The Parable of the Virgins: Be ready for His coming!
The Parable of the Talents: Be faithful until His coming!
I  The Delegation of Authority
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man traveling to a far country: [Verse 14]
Traveling to a far country = Apodemeo = “To visit a foreign land”
Matt 21:33  “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.”
He called his own servants
Servants = Doulos = “Bond slaves” (used 6 times in this parable)
1 Cor 6:19-20  “… you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.”
He delivered his goods to them
Delivered = Paradidomi = “To entrust or commit”
Illustration: The disciples were made fiduciaries of the Kingdom of Heaven
Definition: “A fiduciary is a person legally appointed and authorized to hold and manage the assets of another person for their benefit rather than for his or her own profit.”
May God bless you through this message! 
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I  The Delayed Coming
The parable of the “Two Servants” in Mt 24:45 addresses the Rapture of the Church!
The parable of the “10 Virgins” in our text today addresses the 2nd Coming of Christ!
 The proper interpretation of parables:
Allegorical: Everything in the parable has a mystical, deeper meaning
Historical: The parable has a plain meaning and one primary truth
Background on the three stages of Jewish weddings:
The engagement: a formal agreement made by the fathers.
The betrothal: the ceremony where mutual promises are made in the presence of family and friends.
The marriage (gamos= wedding celebration and feast): following a year of preparation, the bridegroom would come at an unexpected time and make his way to the home of his bride to retrieve her and take her to place the had prepared for her! The bridesmaids, along with others, would then make their way to the home of bridegroom (often at night with lighted torches), where there would be a week of feasting and celebration!
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com
 

I  The Delayed Coming
The parable of the “Two Servants” in Mt 24:45 addresses the Rapture of the Church!
The parable of the “10 Virgins” in our text today addresses the 2nd Coming of Christ!
 The proper interpretation of parables:
Allegorical: Everything in the parable has a mystical, deeper meaning
Historical: The parable has a plain meaning and one primary truth
Background on the three stages of Jewish weddings:
The engagement: a formal agreement made by the fathers.
The betrothal: the ceremony where mutual promises are made in the presence of family and friends.
The marriage (gamos= wedding celebration and feast): following a year of preparation, the bridegroom would come at an unexpected time and make his way to the home of his bride to retrieve her and take her to place the had prepared for her! The bridesmaids, along with others, would then make their way to the home of bridegroom (often at night with lighted torches), where there would be a week of feasting and celebration!
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com

Introduction
The focus of Matthew:
The King: Jesus Christ the Messiah
The kingdom of God: The rule and reign of the Messiah
The citizenry of that kingdom: Believers and followers of Jesus Christ
The message: “Repent for the kingdom is at hand!”
The response:  Rejection of the Messiah by Israel’s religious leaders
The sentence: Desolation, wrath and judgment upon the nation of Israel!
Consequently, the disciples ask Jesus two questions:
What will be the sign of the end of the age? The Abomination of Desolation!
There will be an ever-increasing succession of judgments that will come upon the earth during the first 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation!
At the halfway point of the Great Tribulation, the peace treaty between the anti-Christ and Israel will be broken and the next pivotal sign will occur: the “Abomination of Desolation” as prophesied in Dan12:11-12.
Following the Abomination of Desolation, the world will suffer the second half of the Great Tribulation followed by the 2nd Coming of Christ!
What will be the sign of your coming? The worldwide, visible, unmistakable return of Christ in His unveiled Shekinah Glory!
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com

Introduction
The focus of Matthew:
The King: Jesus Christ the Messiah
The kingdom of God: The rule and reign of the Messiah
The citizenry of that kingdom: Believers and followers of Jesus Christ
The message: “Repent for the kingdom is at hand!”
The response:  Rejection of the Messiah by Israel’s religious leaders
The sentence: Desolation, wrath and judgment upon the nation of Israel!
Consequently, the disciples ask Jesus two questions:
What will be the sign of the end of the age? The Abomination of Desolation!
There will be an ever-increasing succession of judgments that will come upon the earth during the first 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation!
At the halfway point of the Great Tribulation, the peace treaty between the anti-Christ and Israel will be broken and the next pivotal sign will occur: the “Abomination of Desolation” as prophesied in Dan12:11-12.
Following the Abomination of Desolation, the world will suffer the second half of the Great Tribulation followed by the 2nd Coming of Christ!
What will be the sign of your coming? The worldwide, visible, unmistakable return of Christ in His unveiled Shekinah Glory!
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com

Introduction
Background: The disciples asked two questions in Matt 24:3
What will be the sign of your coming?
What will be the sign of the end of the age?
Having answered the disciples’ second question in verses 4-14, Jesus now turns His attention in verses 15-31 to answer the first – the sign of His coming.
Prophetic sequence of Pretribulation events (Arnold Fruchtenbaum):
World Wars I and II - Mt 24:1-8
The Re-Establishment of Israel in 1948 - Ezek 20:33-38; 22:17-22; Zeph 2:1-2
The temple will be reconstructed (AKA; 3rd Temple or Tribulation Temple) and be under Jewish control - Dan 9:27; Mt 24:15; 2 Thess 2:3-4; Rev 11:1-2
The Rapture will precede the Tribulation - 1 Thess 4:16-17
The Russian invasion of Israel (with Iran, Ethiopia, Somalia, Germany and Armenia) - Ezekiel 38:1-39:16
The One-World government - Dan 7:23
The ten kingdoms - Dan 7:24a
The rise of the Antichrist - Dan 7:24b; 2 Thess 2:1-3
The period of peace and false security - 1 Thess 5:1-3
The seven year covenant - Dan 7:27; Is 28:14-22
(2014)
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com

Introduction
Background: The disciples asked two questions in Matt 24:3
What will be the sign of your coming?
What will be the sign of the end of the age?
Having answered the disciples’ second question in verses 4-14, Jesus now turns His attention in verses 15-31 to answer the first – the sign of His coming.
Prophetic sequence of Pretribulation events (Arnold Fruchtenbaum):
World Wars I and II - Mt 24:1-8
The Re-Establishment of Israel in 1948 - Ezek 20:33-38; 22:17-22; Zeph 2:1-2
The temple will be reconstructed (AKA; 3rd Temple or Tribulation Temple) and be under Jewish control - Dan 9:27; Mt 24:15; 2 Thess 2:3-4; Rev 11:1-2
The Rapture will precede the Tribulation - 1 Thess 4:16-17
The Russian invasion of Israel (with Iran, Ethiopia, Somalia, Germany and Armenia) - Ezekiel 38:1-39:16
The One-World government - Dan 7:23
The ten kingdoms - Dan 7:24a
The rise of the Antichrist - Dan 7:24b; 2 Thess 2:1-3
The period of peace and false security - 1 Thess 5:1-3
The seven year covenant - Dan 7:27; Is 28:14-22
(2014)
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com

Introduction
Most people are curious about the future -- the Jews of Jesus’ day were no different!
Background:
This is the last public speech Jesus ever gave to the people of Israel.
In chapter 21-23, He pronounced judgment on the nation Israel, judgment on the false leaders and judgment on the people who followed their deceptions – culminating in two profound statements:
         --One of judgment: “Your house is left unto you desolate”, which would  be fulfilled in 70 AD in the destruction of the temple.
         --One of prophetic hope: “For I say unto you, you shall not see Me                     henceforth till you shall say, ‘Blessed is He that cometh in the name of  the Lord’”, which will be fulfilled when all Israel will be saved (Rom 11:26).
      3. The Jewish understanding of eschatology was limited:  There would be a time of great tribulation (Roman rule); The coming of a herald who would announce the Messiah. (John the Baptist); The Messiah would come (and He did) ; The Messiah would gather the dispersed Jews and establish His kingdom.
They had no concept of a 1st Coming of the Messiah as a Suffering Servant followed by a 2nd Coming as a reigning and ruling King! As a result, they were filled with a heightened sense of eschatological anticipation!
(2014)
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com

Introduction
Most people are curious about the future -- the Jews of Jesus’ day were no different!
Background:
This is the last public speech Jesus ever gave to the people of Israel.
In chapter 21-23, He pronounced judgment on the nation Israel, judgment on the false leaders and judgment on the people who followed their deceptions – culminating in two profound statements:
         --One of judgment: “Your house is left unto you desolate”, which would            be fulfilled in 70 AD in the destruction of the temple.
         --One of prophetic hope: “For I say unto you, you shall not see Me                     henceforth till you shall say, ‘Blessed is He that cometh in the name of               the Lord’”, which will be fulfilled when all Israel will be saved (Rom 11:26).
      3. The Jewish understanding of eschatology was limited:  There would be a time of great tribulation (Roman rule); The coming of a herald who would announce the Messiah. (John the Baptist); The Messiah would come (and He did) ; The Messiah would gather the dispersed Jews and establish His kingdom.
They had no concept of a 1st Coming of the Messiah as a Suffering Servant followed by a 2nd Coming as a reigning and ruling King! As a result, they were filled with a heightened sense of eschatological anticipation!
(2014)
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com

There have always been (and will be) leaders like this in the church:
In the OT, God repeatedly confronted Israel’s corrupt leadership - Ezekiel 34
In the NT, Jesus warned of “false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” - Matt 7:15
Paul warned the elders that “from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves - Acts 20:30
Theme of this passage:
The scribes and Pharisees are identified as religious bullies!
Jesus stands up to them as the Deliverer and Champion of the church!
(2014)
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com