“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 6^th of the 28 general parables

 BACKGROUND:
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 70^th week.

 The following Timeline will help (not drawn to scale):

“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 (Genesis 21:5)

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.

I have found my sheep which was lost = “Yahoo!” says the billionaire “I am so happy that I have found my lost pen!”

POINTS:
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.

2. Christians can go astray but can never lose their salvation. However Christ was dealing with Israel under the kingdom of heaven rules … the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). All had gone astray and were one heart beat from hell fire … as there was no eternal security while Christ was alive here on earth as the Son of man.

 3. However if the Jew would continuously believe (believeth) in the Lord Jesus Christ and perform animal blood sacrifices for the remission of sins past (Romans 3:25), they could have the promise of the eternal security of heaven while temporarily residing in Abraham’s bosom … waiting for Jesus Christ to take captivity captive (Luke 16:22; Ephesians 4:8).

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

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