What does this verse mean?

Question

First shall be last and last shall be first for many will be called but few chosen. Matthew 20:16..

I take it as we are all equal but it is up to us to live our life right if we want to be chosen on judgement day!?

Answer 1

The Kingdom of Heaven is the very Word of God..the Bible in your hands. Many are called to it but few are chosen means that only so many people who seek God through its pages will be given insight. Many people misinterpret this scripture to mean a reward in heaven upon judgement but that is not the truth of it when you compare with other scripture what the Kingdom of Heaven means....Jesus is the Word, in the beginning the Word was God, the Word was with God and all things were made through Him by Him and for Him. The Word, or power of God, became flesh and it is His body that has been given to us (bread - scripture) as well as His blood (wine-atonement) that brings us to salvation. Without the Word of God, beginning with the Gospel which plants the seed (the calling) one cannot be lead into the Kingdom of God (the chosen). Here's how I came to this conclusion:

In each passage below...replace the terms Kingdom of God with the Word of God and see what you think:

Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (His Word...not heaven first...we get righteousness from scripture right?)

Matthew 12:28
But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Casting out of demons is done by commanding words...Word of God? See?)

Matthew 19:24
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (The Needle Eye was the merchants enterance into Jerusalem and it required the tedious and time consuming task of unloading all the goods because the entrance was so small as to keep the enemy from intrusion...He's saying the rich are more concerned with their money and goods than study of scripture...no time, no inclination)

Matthew 21:31
Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. (Here He is speaking to the priests and chief elders of the temple..)

Matthew 21:43
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. (Scripture given to the gentiles)

Mark 1:14
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Mark 1:15
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Mark 4:11
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

Mark 4:26
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

Mark 4:30
And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

Mark 9:1
And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

Mark 9:47
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

Mark 10:14
But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Mark 10:15
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

Mark 10:23
And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

Mark 10:24
And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

Mark 10:25
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Mark 12:34
And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.


Mark 14:25
Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

Mark 15:43
Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

Luke 4:43
And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.

Luke 6:20
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Luke 7:28
For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

Luke 8:1
And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,

Luke 8:10
And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

This is only a third of the scripture pertaining to this key phrase attributing to the Kingdom of God. In its entirety it is speaking of Christ in us and we in belonging in Christ. We become members of the heavenly host here on earth when we choose Him and His Word. The symbology for the Bible is tremendous because it points us to the very armour that protects us from the world. Many men study the Word of God but they have no real love for it. Do they have real love for God? Jesus say.."he who remains in me...I will remain in him.." how do we do that? We remain in the Word and the Word remains in us as we learns His precepts, His commandments, His will for our lives and how much He loves us. It increases our faith..even in the obscure passages that are hard to discern...I know..I've been in its pages for the last 11 years and there have been a handful of scriptural accounts that have made me wonder...but sooner or later the answer is always provided so much so that I don't even worry about it anymore. I know the truth is on its way...my eyes just haven't seen it yet. What a blessing it is whenever it does come. Its a high that no drug can match. That is when you know that God is speaking to you, showing you and leading you and that you are chosen. So many are called...and many have been in the Word for ages but don't get it...they are the ones that say..."Where is our reward first?" and God answers and says..."These have come late...but they came earnestly seeking...and so they get the same reward and even before you..." He tells us that so much would be revealed to small children while leaving men of learning confused...I believe that. So I can see that you are a child of the Kingdom...the doors are open...come on in and take a good look around. Love in Christ, ~J~

Answer 2

It is important as Christians that we remain humble and not think ourselves better than someone else or it could well keep us out of heaven.

One verse that comes to mind when I see this is Luke 18:9-14 where Jesus talks about the prayer of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee was there to brag on himself and all that he did but what he did, his actions, was for the praise of man, to be noticed by others so he felt important. He looked down on others thinking he was so much greater than others.

The tax collector humbled himself and wouldn't even raise his eyes to heaven and said "God, be merciful to me, a sinner". Jesus says that everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself with be exalted. Matt 20:16 pretty much says the same thing.

I found this and will give this link so you can use this site when studying any of the books in the Bible:

http://cf.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_author.cfm?AuthorID=4

Lastly, Here is the application of the parable (v. 16), in that observation which occasioned it (ch. 19:30); So the first shall be last, and the last first. There were many that followed Christ now in the regeneration, when the gospel kingdom was first set up, and these Jewish converts seemed to have got the start of others; but Christ, to obviate and silence their boasting, here tells them,

1. That they might possibly be outstripped by their successors in profession, and, though they were before others in profession, might be found inferior to them in knowledge, grace, and holiness. The Gentile church, which was as yet unborn, the Gentile world, which as yet stood idle in the market-place, would produce greater numbers of eminent, useful Christians, than were found among the Jews. More and more excellent shall be the children of the desolate than those of the married wife, Isa. 54:1. Who knows but that the church, in its old age, may be more fat and flourishing than ever, to show that the Lord is upright? Though primitive Christianity had more of the purity and power of that holy religion than is to be found in the degenerate age wherein we live, yet what labourers may be sent into the vineyard in the eleventh hour of the church’s day, in the Philadelphian period, and what plentiful effusions of the Spirit may then be, above what has been yet, who can tell?

2. That they had reason to fear, lest they themselves should be found hypocrites at last; for many are called but few chosen. This is applied to the Jews (ch. 22:14); it was so then, it is too true still; many are called with a common call, that are not chosen with a saving choice. All that are chosen from eternity, are effectually called, in the fulness of time (Rom. 8:30), so that in making our effectual calling sure we make sure our election (2 Pt. 1:10); but it is not so as to the outward call; many are called, and yet refuse (Prov. 1:24), nay, as they are called to God, so they go from him (Hos. 11:2, 7), by which it appears that they were not chosen, for the election will obtain, Rom. 11:7. Note, There are but few chosen Christians, in comparison with the many that are only called Christians; it therefore highly concerns us to build our hope for heaven upon the rock of an eternal choice, and not upon the sand of an external call; and we should fear lest we be found but seeming Christians, and so should really come short; nay, lest we be found blemished Christians, and so should seem to come short, Heb. 4:1.

Answer 3

I think it means that the order is rapidly fadin'. Because the slow one now will later be fast. Senators and Congressmen should not block inevitable change, and mothers and fathers should not criticise what they don't understand. Writers and critics need to keep an open mind, and not try to prematurely direct and prophesy the future while the wheel of fortune is still spinning.

http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/times.html

Jesus and Bob Dylan were talking about how to cope with changing times. Both were very insightful young men. Bob's still around and producing great music and poetry.

Answer 4

Read the detail of this verse:

Fifteenth Prophesy – Parable of Kingdom of God (Lord and Wages of Laborers):

1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2 "Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 "And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.,
4 "and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
5 "Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 "And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'why have you been standing idle all the day?'
7 They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'
8 "So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'
9 "And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each receive a denarius.
10 "But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.
11 "And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,
12 "saying. 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'
13 "But he answered one of them and said, 'Friends I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14 'Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give this last man the same as to you.
15 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?'
16 "So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called but few are chosen."
(Bible: Mathew: 20: 1-16)

The eleventh hour referred to last group among believers, i.e. the followers of the last Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). It is narrated by the prophet (peace be upon him) that, "Besides being the last we are the first."

Answer 5

It means what it says and says what it means. The bible says all of us are called. The chosen are the ones who hear, believe, repent,confess, are baptized and walk in newness of life. The bible demands to be believed on every point and if we disbelieve what it says then we are not the chosen. For example Jesus said that baptism is essential for salvation so the chosen will accept this and believe it and practice it those who are not chosen will not.

Not everyone who thinks they are saved really are. Few will be chosen.
BB

Answer 6

similar to that idea with a slight twist. you see in this world as people have individual thoughts and differences, the phrase identifies that God is herding his people to the "right path" regardless of race, color, religion, and status in life; to prepare us for the next life with him come judgement day. he already gave us the call, now it is only up to us to heed it.

Answer 7

everyone is called to salvation but fer are chosen to serve!

Answer 8

...at the Passover table... Yeshua (you most likely know Him as Jesus) was speaking to the "guests" at the table (His disciples)... The most prominent seat at the table was occupied by Judas...(the "first")... seated at the least prominent seat was Kefa (you know him as Peter) ...the "last".
You know the rest of the story...

Answer 9

those who think they are highest will be lowest in heaven if they get there
many are called to be christian but most do not truly give their lives to Jesus and they will be lost.