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When reading Matthew chapter 19:16 - 26, we find Christ talking
to a rich young man who was inquiring about inheriting a passport to eternal
life. Then chapter 19 ends with Apostle Peter having a discussion with Jesus
Christ about rewards after hearing the Lord's discourse with the rich young
man. "Then answered Peter and said unto Him [Jesus Christ] Behold, we
have forsaken all, and followed You; what shall we have therefore?" (Matt.
19:27). What is in it for us? What will be our reward? Peter's old nature
was reasserting itself! He was bargaining with the Lord in a spirit each of
us must guard against! Jesus the Christ closed His remarks with verse 30,
"But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." What does
Matthew 19, verse 30 - mean? When it says, "many that are first shall be
last; And the last shall be first?" Is there an order of events or stages that
have to take place in order for the last to be first?
In the next chapter - chapter 20 of Matthew, is the parable of the
householder that will help us find the answer to Peter's question and for the
last to be first. In this householder parable, we will find laborers being hired
to work in a vineyard. They will be hired at different time of the day, from
early morning, to late in the afternoon. "For the kingdom of heaven is like
unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to
hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers
for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard." [These men contracted to
work for a reasonable wage at that time.] Vs. 3, "And he went out about the
third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said unto
them; go you also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you.
And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour,
and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others
standing idle, and saith unto them, why stand you here all the day idle? They
said unto him, because no man has hired us. He said unto them, go you also
into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall you receive" (Matt 20:
1,3-7).
We will better understand this parable by identifying the
householder, vineyard workers, and what the vineyard represents. Christ,
Himself is the householder who went out "early in the morning" to hire
laborers to work in His vineyard. He hired labors to start working at
different hours of the day- from early morning, until late in the day, actually
about one hour prior to paying the workers for their services.
What is meant by His vineyard? The vineyard Christ is referring to
was originally laid out at Mount Sinai, where the planting of God's law,
statutes and judgements were given to physical Israel to administer the
affairs of His kingdom. But we find when Christ came declaring the
kingdom of God was at hand and looking for the fruits of righteousness in
his vineyard, He found none! He then went to the house of Judah, who had
been hired in the early morning hours, who Isaiah had prophetically
addressed a message to. "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of
Judah, judge, I pray you, between Me and My vineyard. What could have
been done more to My vineyard, that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when
I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?" (Isa
5:3-4). Judah instead of producing the fruit of God's Holy Spirit, brought
forth the fruit of the flesh, that is found in Gal 5:19--23, dishonesty, deception, immorality and disregard
for God's authority and truth!
Isaiah verse 5 continues, "And now go to; I
will tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take
away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and
brake down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden
down" (Isa. 5:5). [Judah is being told, God is going to
remove His protecting hand and their enemies will
attacked and scatter them because of their
transgressions.] Vs.6, "And I will lay it waste: it shall
not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up
briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that
they rain no rain upon it." [ Care is essential if a
vineyard is to be productive. Without rain, pruning
and cultivation it will eventually deteriorate,
instead of producing a healthy crop, it would
produce nothing but briers and thorns - a
worthless crop!] Vs.7, "For the
vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the
house of Israel, and the men of Judah
His pleasant plant: and He looked for
judgment, but behold oppression; for
righteousness, but behold a cry." This
message is primarily for the house of
Judah, but also this message of rebuke
and coming doom incorporates the
house of Israel as well.
Judah's failure to keep their
vow, and their promise to God, cost them the
government of God working through them. Jesus
Christ said in Matt 21:43, "Therefore say I unto you,
the kingdom of God (the government of God) shall be
taken from you [Judah], and given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof." Spiritually speaking, Christ is
speaking about a nation of spiritual Israelites, called
and in the "Church of God."
Through-out the centuries of Christian
witnessing there have been three distinct types of
activities, three phases to God's work, and three types
of workers. Each one was to fulfill a specific task
assigned to them, Through the Prophet Jeremiah, the
Lord declared He would call for Fishers and for
Hunters. "Behold, I will send for many Fishers, saith
the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send
for many Hunters, and they shall hunt them from
every mountain, And from every hill, and out of the
holes of the rocks" (Jer 16:16).
Jesus Christ Himself identified the beginning of
the fishing period when He called Simon, Andrew,
James and John. "And Jesus, walking by the sea of
Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and
Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they
were fishers. And He saith unto them, follow Me, and
I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway
left their nets, and followed Him. And going on from
thence, He saw other two brethren, James the son of
Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee
their father, mending their nets; and He called them.
And they immediately left the ship and their father, and
followed Him" (Mark 1: 16-29). By far the greatest
number of years have been devoted to the fishing
period! A fisherman patiently waits as he undertakes
to snare a fish in a net or catch it on a hook
tied to a line.
The early vineyard workman called
by God to work in the vineyard during the
heat of the day symbolize that great
body of Christians who were hired
at earlier hours to work God's
vineyard. These were the
fishers of men, who for over
1900 years have worked faithfully
in God's service, laboring in His
vineyard, even after their death.
This is made clear from the
statement in Revelation. "And I heard
a voice from heaven saying unto me,
write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth: yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from
their labours; and their works do follow them"
(Rev.14:13).
God's gospel does not stop with the death of
one of His servants, but continues on while the second
phase called the "hunter" period (Jer 16:16), is
introduced,
"Afterwards will I send for many hunters." The hunter
is one that leaves his camp and tramps through the
woods and through the hills and mountains exerting
energy and strength as he travels in search of his prey.
This hunter period demonstrates the activities
of those who have sought to establish the identity of
Israel in these last days. Hunting out the evidence and
tracing the history of the Lost 10 tribes of Israel, and
to make it known to those who are being called at that
time. As you know the most asked for book from
God's church has been "The United States and British
Commonwealth In Prophecy." This book identifies
modern Israel today
as the Anglo-Saxon
people. Mr. Herbert
Armstrong fulfilled
the hunting period,
along side the fishing
period that had been
hired earlier, in the
heat of the day to
work in God's
vineyard. This
hunting period has
searched out many of
God's truth's.
Restoring the
meaning and plan of
God's Holy Days, and the preaching God's gospel
around the world, while feeding spiritual food to
God's called out ones.
It was during this period of fishing and hunting
Mr. Armstrong was blessed with God's money to
build three Ambassador Colleges for the purpose of
recapturing true values and supplying the students and
the church with the missing dimension in the
education of character, using the Bible, God's word as
the foundation to teach from. Over the west door way
of the Ambassador Hall, in Pasadena, was carved "The
Word of God is the Foundation of Knowledge." This
foundation of knowledge ties in with the third group
God hired to work in His vineyard.
This third group was hired just prior to the end
of the day, that we read about earlier in verses 6 - 7
of Matthew 20, "And about the eleventh hour He went
out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto
them, why stand you here all the day idle? They say
unto Him, because no man has hired us. He said unto
them, go you also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is
right, that shall you receive." This eleventh hour third
group only had to work one hour because it was the
beginning of the end of the day and night was about to
begin." This is a much shorter time than the fishers and
hunters had in working the vineyard.
With the changing of time the message for
Israel again changed! The third and final call is now
going out for the "watchman" to warn God's spiritual
called to wake up!! "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your
voice like a trumpet, and show My people their
transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins" (Isa
58:1). It is the watchman's responsibility to sanctify
God' people with His truth, and make them aware of
the time in which they are living.
Notice where the Prophet Ezekiel is seen as a
watchman and dealing primarily with the house of
Israel. "But if the watchman see the sword come, and
blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if
the sword come, and take any person from among
them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood
will I require at the watchman's hand. So you, O son of
man, I have set you a watchman unto the House of
Israel; therefore you shalt hear the word at My mouth,
and warn them from Me" (Eze. 33:6).
Many today, trust fully in their connection with
some church organization to bring about their Bible
understanding instead of taking responsibility for
themselves -to obey God's laws and truth. Having that
attitude will un-qualify them to stand as a watchman in
these last days. Too many God has called place their
confidence in numbers and popularity. True religion is
a personal matter, and each one must work out his own
salvation with fear and trembling.
Who are these watchmen in Israel today? They
are those who understand the gospel of the Kingdom of
God and are devoted to teach God's truth from His
inspired word and are aware of the identity of Israel.
The watchman is identified in Matthew 25, waking up
the ten virgins, who were the early fishers and the
hunters, who are now slumbering and sleeping! God's
watchman has the guard duty most do not want. Their
words of warning are extremely unpopular, with those
who are still slumbering and sleeping! How are they
drowsy and not awake? By neglecting daily study of
God's word. Ignoring God's warning in Jer 7:30, "For
the children of Judah have done evil in My sight, saith
the Lord: they have set their abominations in the house
which is called by My name [the Church of God], to
pollute it." That is not a popular message to the blind
who are leading the blind that are building their
churches on mans traditions, creating a famine of
God's teachings of truth!
The watchman's message also warns of
tribulation and war - not peace! And he proclaims the
coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.
"The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and
hastens greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord:
the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a
day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of
waste and desolation, a day of darkness and
gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness."
[This darkness always is a warning sign before a major
event of God is to take place.] "A day of the trumpet
and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the
high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that
they shall walk like blind men, because they have
sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be
poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. neither
their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them
in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall
be devoured by the fire of His jealousy: for He shall
make even a speedy eliminating of all them that dwell
in the land" (Zephaniah 1:16-18).
People do not want to hear truth, they don't
want to hear the voice of Isaiah 58:1, "Cry aloud,
showing God's people their transgression, and the
house of Jacob their sins." They do not want to be told
they are breaking the Sabbath commandment and
practicing syncretism, mixing God's truth with the
Jewish traditions of men!
Most are not willing to endure the loneliness
caused by the end time scattering that Daniel tells us
about! "And I heard the man clothed in linen, which
was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his
right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by
Him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time,
times, and an half; and when he shall have
accomplished to scatter the power of the holy
people, all these things shall be finished" (Dan 12: 7).
When reading the parable of the 10 virgins, we
understand a watchman must stay awake and alert,
resist slumbering or sleeping. The Apostle Paul
recognized this tendency to sleep or become indifferent
when he warned the Thessalonians, "Therefore let us
not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be
drunken are drunken in the night" (1 Thess. 5:6-7). The
prime requirement for the watchman is vigilance. He
must be constantly alert in the performance of his
duties.
Reading again from Matthew 20, we will see
the rest of the story that involves the householder and
His hired hands. "So when even was come, (about the
time of early night fall) the Lord of the vineyard
(householder) saith unto His steward, call the labourers,
and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto
the first. And when they came that were hired about
the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
But when the first came, they supposed that they should
have received more; and they likewise received every
man a penny. And when they had received it, they
murmured against the goodman of the house,
[Sounds like they had a Korah problem, murmuring
against God's chosen steward of the house. Korah had
the same authority problem with Moses and Aaron,
Numbers 16.] In verse 12 they continued their
complaining, "Saying, these last have worked but one
hour, and you have made them equal unto us, which
have borne the burden and heat of the day. [After
seeing the eleventh hour worker paid one penny they
thought- they should receive a bigger reward, maybe
12 times bigger!] V.s 13, But He answered one of them,
and said, friend, I do you no wrong: did not you agree
with me for a penny? Take what's yours, and go your
way: I will give unto this last, even as unto you. [It is
better to leave our rewards up to God then to try and
strike a bargain with Him.] Vs 15, Is it not lawful for
Me to do what I will with Mine own? Is your eye
evil, because I am good?" (Matt 20: 8-15). What
God pleases will always be right, just and fair. This
only proves that in God's kingdom we must adopt an
entirely new kind of thinking. Man must learn to
abandon their selfishness, their greedy competitive
spirit and begin to think like the householder (God).
Christ finishes verse 16 with "So the last shall
be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few
chosen." Jesus reserves for Himself the prerogative of
selecting each one He deemed best qualified for the
positions of working His vineyard. And He selects
those qualified to minister with authority the
watchman's warning message, "Cry aloud, spare not,
lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show My people
[My called] their transgression, and the house of
Jacob their sins" (Isa 58:1).
God gives the fishermen - hunters - and the
watchmen their authority to do that Notice Psalm
75:5-7, "Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with
a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the
east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God
is the judge: He puts down one, and sets up another."
The Apostle Paul understood God gives promotions
and ordinations for the jobs - He wants to be done!
"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers
[higher authority]. For there is no authority but of
God: the authority that be are ordained of God" (Rom
13:1).
God teaches equality of rewards within each
"Church of God" group. Each one accounted worthy
will be rewarded but not according to the length of
service, but upon his faithfulness in rendering a full
measure of devotion to the task assigned to him!
There is going to be some surprises! Some who
think they will be first- will be last, because their
service was inspired by pride--selfish ambitions--
numbers rule !
In God's kingdom greatness is manifested by
service! Because a servant must become a slave to
serving and giving of himself or herself freely. Those
serving out of love and gratitude are going to be highly
rewarded.
We are told from Christ' personal teachings,
"Blessed are you, when men shall hate you, and
when We are told from Christ' personal teachings,
"Blessed are you, when men shall hate you, and
when they shall separate you from their company,
and shall reproach you, And cast out your name as
evil, for the son of man's sake. Rejoice you in that
day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is
great in heaven: for in the like manner did their
Fathers unto the prophets" (Luke 6: 22-23).
"For the word of the Lord is right; and
all His works are done In truth" (Psalms 33:4)
reminds us! As end time watchman we can
not afford to be slumbering and sleeping.
James Russell