“THE 41 PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST”
28 general parables and 13 kingdom of heaven
parables
Parable
#14 – “LOST SHEEP”
Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:3-6,7
The
6th of the 28 general parables
In
445BC, with one Bible week equating to seven years (a prophetic
year being 360 days), God commanded that seventy weeks each of 7
years, would be determined upon Israel, that is … 70 weeks x 7
years = 490 years (Daniel 9:24-27).
This
time frame is broken into four time periods of (a) 7 weeks + (b)
62 weeks + (c) the mystery church age of about 2,000 years +
(d) 1 week = 70 weeks and is explained as follows:
#1. Seven
weeks of years is 7 x 7 = 49 years … the time it takes to restore
and build Jerusalem from 445BC to 396BC.
#2. Sixty
two weeks of years is 62 x 7 = 434 years … the time from the
building of Jerusalem in 396BC to Christ being cut off at the cross in 32AD.
#3. The
church age of approximately 2,000 years
#4. One
week of years is 1 x 7 = 7 years … this is the seven years of
tribulation of God’s wrath upon the earth, that takes place after the rapture …
called Daniel’s 70th week.
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy
city … from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build
Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore
and two weeks … after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut
off … he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week …”
THE PARABLE LUKE 15:2-6
“v2 And the Pharisees
and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and
eateth with them. v3 And he
spake this parable unto them, saying, v4 What man of you, having an hundred
sheep, if he lose one of them (gone
astray in Matthew 18:12), doth not leave the ninety and nine in
the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? v5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it
on his shoulders, rejoicing. v6 And
when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying
unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.”
(Luke 15:2-6)
Pharisees and
scribes murmured = when did they ever not murmur? (John 6:41)
receivETH sinners and
eatETH with them = Christ continuously did this … that is
all the time as appropriate
an hundred sheep = the number
hundred in Israel’s history has always had significance eg
lose = in the
book of Matthew this lost sheep has simply gone astray (Psalm 119:76;
Jeremiah 50:6). Men under the kingdom of heaven regime only ever had temporary
salvation, and like those in who walked away (John 6:66) they were in danger of
hell fire (Matthew 18:12), instead of Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:23).
Indeed all of Israel were the lost sheep (Matthew
15:24), such that, Christ’s disciples were instructed to ignore the Samaritans
and the Gentiles … only going to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 10:6)
leave the ninety and nine = these are ‘safe and sound’ in a ‘temporary’ manner, not having
eternal security, and are not going astray, as they believeth in Christ (John
3:16) and sacrifice animal blood for their remission of sins.
until he find it = this is
the perseverance of Christ unto the lost sheep of Israel … but there would come
a day of approximately 2,000 years when the sheep will not find Christ (John
7:34-35). However in the seven years of tribulation, Christ will find them again
and open their eyes (Zechariah 12:10) … such is the determination of the
shepherd Christ for his sheep (1 Kings 8:57; Psalm 27:9; Hebrews 13:5).
layeth it on his shoulders = he does not walk the sheep home under its own strength as it would be
weak and need care; and secondly, on his shoulders meant the sheep couldn’t run
away again.
rejoicing = like a
billionaire with all the things that money can buy … he has a favourite watch
or a precious fountain pen or the first dollar he earned mounted in a glass
case. The billionaire gets great joy looking at and having these little things
… that is compared to the other ninety nine possessions he has in his keeping.
rejoice with me = the
billionaire just loves having his friends over for a BBQ so he can bring out
his favourite thing and show everybody.
1. Christ had come for Israel
… they had gone astray. In the kingdom of God, this is ‘equivalent’ …
although not … of a backslidden Christian, who has eternal security … as the
astray Jew did not have eternal security.
APPLICATION
TO CHRISTIANS
1.
Christians have eternal security in the kingdom of God and can never go
astray as the temporarily saved sheep under the kingdom of heaven dispensation.
2.
Christ has locked the gate for Christians and they can never go astray
or lose their salvation as the sheep in this parable.
3. The
‘straying’ the Christian does is to backslide into the world.
4.
Christians have a guarantee that they will be conformed to the image of
the Son (Romans 8:29) unlike the sheep in this parable.
5.
Christians when brought back from backsliding are never hoisted on
Christ’s shoulders … THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CHRIST’S BODY!
Harley
Hitchcock
October
2023
www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
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