Three offers of the re-establishment of the Davidic kingdom
Following in Matt. 22 is the main body of the parable as the Lord spoke it in 3 segments identifying the 3 distinct calls:
1. The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, “and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come” (Matt. 22:2-3).
2. Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”
“But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. “And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully and killed them. “But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city” (vv. 4-7)
3. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. ‘Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ “So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests” (vv. 8-10).
Matthew 22:2 says they called those who had been invited. The invitation was when Israel in Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets had been promised the kingdom (Lk. 16:16; 2 Sam. 7:16; Ps. 2; 22:28; 89:4, 29, 36; Isa. 24:23; 35; 40:1 5, 9 11; 49; 54; 60; 62; 65; Dan. 2:44; 7:13 14, 27).
The first call (v. 2) began with John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2) and ended at the cross. The second (v. 4) when Peter offered the forgiveness of sins, and the kingdom to Israel (Acts 3:19-24), and afterward was to be extended to the nations (v.26). However, the second offer of the kingdom to Israel ended in AD 70 (Matt. 22:7; Lk. 21:24). The third call to Israel and invitation (vv. 8-10) to all nations is found in Matt. 24:14; Lk. 14:23 and Rev. 14:6.
The second call (Matt. 22:4; 28:19-20; Lk. 24:47) was to include Gentiles worldwide as proselytes, but because of the rejection and destruction of the city and temple, it never progressed that far. Instead, Paul the Apostle was sent to the Gentiles to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins completely apart from the kingdom message, the temple and Mosaic Law. To be noticed, in Lk. 24:47 the Lord specifically said that to the Gentiles was to be preached repentance and forgiveness of sins, and that, because the kingdom still belongs to Israel.
As shown above, the Lord’s command for them was to go to all nations as witnesses to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins (Lk. 24:47-48. But their primary message was the good news and offer of the kingdom to the Jews first, and eventually the making of Gentile proselytes (Ex. 12:48-49) who would be admitted into the commonwealth of Israel (Matt.16:19; 28:19-20), but the kingdom message or any other was to the Jew first (Acts 3:26).
When the third offer is made all mankind will be compelled to make a decision (Lk. 14:23) because the kingdom at that time will be established by force (Ps. 2; Isa. 24; Dan. 7; Joel 3; Zech. 14; Rev. 11:15; and chapters 14-19).
May the Lord bless
Robert
