Matthew 25. Preparing for the Kingdom of Heaven – Taylor Halverson

Keywords

Matthew 24–25, Kingdom of Heaven, spiritual preparedness

Abstract

Imagine walking into a packed theater at a moment when the show is most dramatic and exciting.  Everyone sits on the edge of their seat, ears attuned to every uttered word lest they miss something of great importance.  The intensity of the moment is palpable.  But alas, you, my friend, missed the first act and so you have no clue as to why this moment, this dialogue on stage is of such import and intensity.  Yet you dare not interrupt anyone to receive contextual clues or for a review of the first act lest you or they miss the climax of the performance.

Luckily for us we are not walking into a live performance of Matthew 25.  We have the benefit of taking the necessary time to review the first act (Matthew 24) so that the immensely relevant parables and exhortations of Matthew 25 pack their full intensity.  If we stepped into Matthew 25 without the requisite preparation that context brings by reviewing Matthew 24 we certainly would be left to feel the palpable intensity and urgency of the Lord’s message without fully understanding the importance or reasons why.

Matthew 25 is a continuation of Christ’s preaching of the coming Kingdom of Heaven found in Matthew 24 (or found in the Pearl of Great Price under Joseph Smith—Matthew).  Let us briefly review this “first act.”  That way the Matthew 25 parables of the coming kingdom and the exhortations to be prepared for that great day will resound with greater intensity and importance within our souls. ((Using parables as a method for teaching the truth, Matthew 25 covers several key themes of the Gospel: The Kingdom of God, Seeking the Kingdom of God, Preparing for the Kingdom, and Inheriting the Kingdom.))

Original Publication Citation

“Matthew 25: Preparing for the Kingdom of Heaven.” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. 2015.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2015

Publisher

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Language

English

College

Marriott School of Business

Department

Marketing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

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