Why did Jesus teach parables?

The Parables

After hearing the message of the Kingdom of Heaven...many people ask the question, "Are the parables to be applied to the Church now?" The parables of the Kingdom were not given to the Gentiles but only to the Nation of Israel because Israel was the subject of the parables. Israel was blinded to the Messiahship of Jesus Christ. Jesus' reason for speaking in parables is given in Matthew 13:14 where He quotes from Isaiah,

Matt 13:14...And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

The parables of the Kingdom show Israel's rejection of the Messiahship of Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven message that He preached. The parable of the sower in Matthew 13 is an example. The Jewish people are likened to the different types of soil. The message of the Kingdom is sown on four different types of soil. Only one "the good ground" produced a crop, teaching that the majority of Israel was going to reject the Kingdom message and the King.

Matt 13:3-13...And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables:

In the parable of the vineyard in Matthew 21:33-41, the lord of the vineyard sent his servants to collect his share. The wicked tenants beat his servant's and stoned them to death. Finally the owner said, "Then will I send my son." When the son arrived, the people said, "He's the heir. Let's put him to death." So they killed him. Likewise, Jesus Christ the Son was rejected and put to death. The Lord will come back again and bring vengeance upon the caretakers of the vineyard.

Matt 21:33-39...Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

Throughout the parables, we see object lessons of good fish and bad fish, wheat and tares, foolish virgins and wise virgins, all part of the message being given to Israel in relation to establishing the promised Kingdom on Earth. Parables do not teach the mystery of the Church. There is a vast difference between the Church and the message of the Kingdom of Heaven. *

*Some teachers in our generation have misapplied the parables to the Church and taught "sowing" money as seed, expecting to get 30, 60, or 100-fold as a return. The 30, 60, and 100-fold increase was to the Israelites that received the message of the Kingdom and had no reference to the Church or to money. There is no "sowing of money" in the parables of the Kingdom to Israel. Also, they could not sow the message of the Kingdom to the Gentiles for it was given to Israel only.

Matt. 25:1-13 is the parable of the 10 virgins and deals with the coming of Christ to establish His Kingdom on Earth. The virgins show the attitude of the two types Jew that either accept or reject the Bridegroom at his coming.

Matt 25:1-11...Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

This Parable is not to be mistaken for the Rapture of the Church. The Rapture is not taught in the four Gospels because the Rapture relates to the Church. The Church was not prophesied or taught in the four Gospels. The four Gospels relate primarily to the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. That's why Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven was likened unto 10 virgins. Please note...when Jesus returns a second time to set up the Kingdom of Heaven...He returns (with the Raptured Saints) in Divine Judgment to separate the sheep and goats. This Judgment will come primarily on Israel who (rejects) the Messiah. After Divine Judgment the Promised Kingdom will first begin in Jerusalem with Christ and all His saints.

This Parable had to relate to the (2) types of Jew awaiting their promised Messiah (the bridegroom) because there are no "foolish virgins" in the Church, the body of Christ. "Are there wise virgins in the Church, Yes?" "Are there Foolish virgins in the Church, No?" There are however; (2) types of Jew at the time of the Messiah's return to set up the Promised Kingdom in Israel. Wise virgins and foolish virgins! Wise virgins have "oil" in their lamps. Foolish virgins have no oil in their lamps.

Oil in the Bible relates to God's ownership...Everything that oil had reference to in the Old Testament related to God's ownership.

The lamps are the Word of God (the Torah, the prophets, and the Psalms)

Ps. 119:105...Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

The wise virgins that have oil in their lamps are those in the Jewish Nation who recognize Christ as their Messiah. Israel's faith in the "Word of God" allowed God to have possession of their hearts and lives. Israel's faith in the word of God allowed them to recognize the Bridegroom when he returns. These are the wise virgins.

The foolish virgins are out looking for oil (God has no ownership of this people) when the Bridegroom returns. These foolish virgins are not subject to the Torah either. These foolish virgins will receive the Judgment of Christ because of their rejection of the Torah and the Messiah both. Jesus said if they would have believed Moses they would have believed Him.

The only thing that applies to Gentiles in the four Gospels is after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ where Christ purchased the Church with His own blood...Acts 20:28 When you learn to rightly divide the Word of Truth there will be no confusion caused from wrongly dividing God's Word. There will be confirmation to your heart and contentment that follows in your life. Get into the Throneroom where Christ is exalted! Don't live in the earthly ministry of during the Kingdom Age. Get into the Church Age "now" where the Spirit of God controls a child of God's heart and life by the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul did not teach the parables or the four Gospels. Nowhere will you find Paul teaching Jesus parables in the Epistles! The Word of God mentioned in the Epistles makes reference to the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms...not the four Gospels! The four Gospels were not canonized until latter centuries.