Matthew 22:2 begins with “The kingdom of heaven.” This phrase is used 32 times in Matthew. And the same thought, “kingdom of God”, appears over 60 times in the New Testament. What specifically is the parable teaching about God’s kingdom?
This parable is focusing on the development of the church class. Presently, the gospel is only selecting the church (Hebrews 3:1, Ephesians 4:4-5) After the church receives its heavenly resurrection, the Christ (Jesus and His church) will resurrect all mankind and teach them righteousness. (Micah 4:1-3)
In verse 2, a king gave a wedding feast for his son – Jehovah, Himself, is the King who planned a marriage for His Son—arranging before the foundation of the world that there should be certain joint-heirs with Christ in His Kingdom. (Ephesians 1:4, 5)
Verse 3 states that God sent out “servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.” John the Baptist was sent to prepare the Jewish people for the coming Messiah. However, most did not heed the call to follow Jesus. Verse 4 states other “servants were sent out” picturing Jesus’s disciples. But the message Jesus and they preached was not received either, and as a consequence, he was slain (Matthew 27:25), and they were treated ill and most were slain as well. (verses 5-6)
When the nation of Israel rejected Jesus and the invitation, the king (God) was angry and sent forth “his (Roman) armies” to destroy “those murderers, and burn up their city (Jerusalem in AD 69-70).” Thus in verse 7, Jesus predicted Jerusalem’s destruction by Roman. Note: Jesus described those who would kill him as “murderers”! He said this at the height of his popularity before he was crucified.
The parable shows that the search went out then to the highways. This pictures how the gospel was extended to the Gentiles beginning with the conversion of Cornelius in 36 A.D. (Acts 10)
In verses 11-12, one without wedding clothes is questioned as to why he has no wedding garment. The garment pictures Christ’s robe of righteousness which covers our sins. (Isaiah 61:10) That undressed-one could be a fake Christian.” He professes to be a follower; however, he never fully accepted Jesus’s sacrifice and gave himself to serve God. Or the person might have been a spirit-begotten Christian. Sadly, he turned away from Jesus’s blood, and thereby committed the unpardonable sin.
Eventually, the person is bound and sent into “outer darkness…(with) weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (verse 13) This shows the anger and anguish many will feel when they go through great tribulation (exposed as false Christians) or suffer and finally end their existence in the second death.
