In these two chapters we have two things to take care of—our watchfulness in life and our faithfulness in service. The watchfulness in life has very much to do with our being raptured on time, with our receiving the permission to enter into the Lord’s wedding feast (Matt. 22:2; Rev. 19:9). This wedding feast refers to the one thousand years of God’s kingdom on this earth. The one thousand year kingdom will be the wedding day in which we will have the wedding feast with the Lord (2 Pet. 3:8). Whether or not you will be on time to be admitted into that wedding feast depends upon your care today concerning the extra portion of oil in your being. Therefore, you have to pay your full attention to this. This is a great matter.
I have been practicing this watchfulness throughout the years, but I am also human. Occasionally I became negligent. I was just a little slothful about one or two days, sometimes perhaps five to six days. Then I woke up, telling myself that I was neglecting my obligation, and that I had to take care of the oil, of an extra portion in my vessel, in my soul. Concerning faithfulness it is the same. I love the Lord, and I love to serve the Lord. To teach or to minister His Word to people is really my “hobby,” yet we all are human. Sometimes I became tired and desired to have a few days of vacation. I wanted to stay away from this ministry of the Word, and I was advised to do so by some dear ones, even by my family. But every time I took their advice to take a vacation, I began to regret, realizing that I had to serve so I could make more profit.
In this parable of the talents the Lord said clearly that “after a long time the lord of those slaves comes and settles accounts with them” (Matt. 25:19). He will come back to settle accounts with you. The five-talented one came to report that he made another five talents. This is to use the Lord’s gifts in full. The second one with two talents gave the same report, and they both received a reward. To these two faithful ones the Lord said the same thing: “Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things; enter into the joy of your lord” (25:21, 23). The last one, who was not faithful, lost what he had and was also put into the outer darkness (25:28-30).
Beginning in 1930 I began to teach these things, to minister this kind of word. My Christian friends and Christian relatives came to me, trying their best to argue with me. They asked, “Could a saved one be cast into the outer darkness?” I said, “Dear ones, it is not I who say this. Read Matthew 25:30. Whose word is this? This is the Lord’s word.” Then they argued with me, asking, “What is this darkness?” I said, “I have never been there. I do not know, but one thing I can tell you is that it is not a good place; I would not like to go there. If you are cast into that darkness you will not be rejoicing, but weeping, and gnashing your teeth. Do you want to go to a place where you will be weeping and gnashing your teeth?"
This word was clearly spoken by the Lord Jesus, and it was sovereignly recorded in the Bible. Can you deny that this is the Lord’s word? Can you say that this unfaithful servant is a false believer? This is what Dr. C. I. Scofield taught, and the Brethren did the same thing. This is not a false believer, that is, a tare (Matt. 13:24-30), for the Lord gave him the talents. The Lord will settle accounts with him not on this earth but at His judgment seat in the air (2 Cor. 5:10). All those who will be judged there will be real believers. How could a false believer be raptured to the air and go to the judgment seat of Christ to be judged by the Lord? It is impossible. In chapter thirteen of Matthew the Lord said, “Allow both to grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares and bind them into bundles to burn them up, but the wheat bring together into My barn” (v. 30). When the Lord comes, He will send the angels to bind the tares, the false believers, and cast them into the lake of fire (vv. 40-42). How could there be a false believer who was not bound by the angels but rather raptured to the air to meet the Lord, even at His judgment seat. It is altogether not logical. Because this slave is not faithful, is he a false one? Unfaithfulness does not indicate falsehood.
All those who questioned me about this matter got convinced; eventually most of them had no way to argue with me. However some still said, “Anyhow, I do not believe that a believer shall be cast into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” I said, “Friends, whether you believe or you do not believe, this is the Lord’s warning.” Do consider this. Paul in his teaching to the Hebrews called this kind of teaching the word of righteousness (Heb. 5:13). The Lord is not sloppy, nor is He unjust. He is strict and just. Surely He saved you, but after this He gave you the Bible with much advice and many warnings. You have to take the advice, and you have to take all these warnings. Just go along with Him according to His word. I am telling you the truth: I am not sure whether I will successfully pass through the judgment seat. I hope that I would, but that remains to be seen. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:5, “Therefore do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord comes, who shall both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then there will be praise to each one from God” (cf. Rom. 14:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:10).
If we mean business with the Lord that He is real, that He is living, and His word is altogether trustworthy, we have to be sober. We have to be sober to rise up, learning to be watchful in life, daily seeking the extra portion of the oil to saturate our entire being that we may be ready in life to be raptured at any time. Then we will not miss the chance to enter into the wedding feast, the thousand year joyful kingdom. Secondly, we all have to be ever faithful in our service. Otherwise, we will not only miss the entrance into the wedding feast, but we will also lose our right to enjoy the Lord’s joy in His coming kingdom. Watchfulness in life relates very much to our rapture, and faithfulness in service relates to our entrance into the Lord’s joy to participate in His coming kingdom.
D. M. Panton, who taught concerning the kingdom reward, said that many Christian teachers are giving tickets for the entrance into the kingdom. However, if you bring such a ticket to the entrance of the kingdom, you will discover that your ticket will not be honored. Do not be cheated. This is the Lord’s clear word to us. I would like to advise you, to have a loving fellowship with you, and even to warn you that we all have to be watchful in life and faithful in service.