BIBLE STUDY LESSON 02

SERIES T --- THE ADONAI OF LIFE

BE READY

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

From Matthew 25

While Yeshua was with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, He told them about the Kingdom of heaven. [We may compare it to a wedding, where ten bridesmaids brought their lamps, preparing to meet the bridegroom by lamplight. Five were foolish young ladies, for they neglected to bring extra oil for their lamps. But five were wise, for they brought the extra oil they would need. The bridegroom did not come for his bride until midnight. While the bridesmaids were waiting, they grew drowsy and fell asleep. Suddenly a shout announced, ‘The bridegroom is coming! Come to meet him!’ The bridesmaids jumped up and trimmed the wicks of their lamps. But the foolish, who had no oil, asked the others to give them some of theirs. ‘If we do, there will not be enough for any of us,’ the wise bridesmaids replied. ‘Go to the dealers and buy some.’ But while the five foolish bridesmaids were away, trying to buy oil at midnight, the other five went into the wedding feast with the bridegroom. Then the door was shut. When the five foolish bridesmaids finally found some oil, they returned and begged to get into the wedding feast. ‘Open up for us!’ they cried. But he simply replied, ‘I do not know you.’ So be prepared for My return, since you do not know when that will be. Another example of this need is the man who prepared to leave for a long journey. He called his slaves and gave each of them some money to invest for him. One slave received five talents, another received two, and another received one. The slave with five talents worked hard and earned five more. The one with two talents also worked hard and earned two more. But the slave with one talent buried it in the ground to hide it. When the master returned, the slave who had received five talents presented ten to him. The master was pleased and said, ‘Good work! You have been good and faithful in your service over a few things; now I will put you in charge of many things. You may have the delight of a better job!’ The slave who had received two talents presented four to his master. ‘Good work!’ the master told him. ‘You have been good and faithful in your service over a few things; now I will put you in charge of many things. You may have the delight of a better job!’ Then the slave who had received one talent presented that same talent to the master. ‘You are a hard man, gathering where you did not sow and harvesting where you did not plant. I was afraid of you and buried your talent until you returned. Here it is!’ The master was angry and said, ‘You wicked, lazy slave. You are certainly right that I gather where I do not sow and harvest where I planted no seed. But you should have let the bankers earn some interest for me if you did not wish to do this yourself.’ The master ordered those nearby to take the talent from this man and give it to the one with ten talents. He explained it this way, ‘Those who use their talents wisely will receive more, while those who fail to use them will lose them. Throw the worthless slave outside, with those who sorrow and suffer.’ When I, Yeshua, shall return in My glory, and the angels come with Me, I will sit on My glorious throne. All nations will be gathered before Me and I will separate them as a shepherd separates sheep and goats, with sheep on the right side and goats on the left. I, the King, will say to My sheep on the right, ‘Come, you whom the Father has blessed, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. When I was hungry, you fed Me; when I was thirsty, you gave Me drink; when I was a stranger, you invited Me in; naked, you clothed Me; sick, you visited Me; in prison, you came to see Me.’ The righteous will answer, ‘When did we see You hungry, and fed You; thirsty, and gave You drink; a stranger, and invited You in; naked, and clothed You; sick or in prison, and visited You?’ Then I, the King, will answer, ‘When you did these things to one of My brothers, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ In the same way, I, the King, will tell those on My left, ‘Go away from Me, you cursed ones, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his evil helpers. When I was hungry, you would not feed Me; when I was thirsty, you would not give Me drink; when I was a stranger, you would not invite Me in; naked, you would not clothe Me; sick or in prison, and you would not visit Me.’ These will answer, ‘Adonai, when did we see You hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick or in prison and did not help You?’ Then I will tell them, ‘When you saw the least of these My brothers with these needs and would not help them.’ These shall go away into eternal punishment, while the righteous shall go into everlasting life.]

COMMENTARY

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

Today the western slope of the Mount of Olives is dotted with memorials to many Biblical people and events. Centuries of history are represented by the tombs and churches that mark the hillside. Several important events in the life of Moshiach took place on the Mount of Olives. From this hilltop He ascended into heaven. The exact location is not known, so there are two memorials to His ascension. The Russian Bell Tower and the Chapel of the Ascension on the crest of the hill. The Pater Noster Church is also on the crest, built on a traditional spot where Yeshua taught His disciples Adonai’s Prayer. To the right of the Pater Noster Church is the Tomb of the Prophets. According to Jewish tradition, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi are buried here. The Dominus Flevit Chapel stands farther down the hill. It marks the place where Yeshua stopped to weep over the coming destruction of Jerusalem. The onion-shaped domes of Mary Magdalene Church rise midway down the hill. The church was named after the woman who first saw the risen Adonai. At the base of the Mount of Olives the Garden of Gethsemane grows next to the Basilica of the Agony where Yeshua spent his last night in prayer. The Tomb of Mary, Yeshua’ mother, is at the left of Gethsemane, beside the Jericho Road. On the opposite side of the road, St. Stephen’s Church marks the site of the first death of the martyr following Yeshua.