The Parable of the Talents Explained Prophetically

Matthew 25:14–30 (also Luke 19:11–27), In this parable concerning the kingdom of Elohim, a man travels to a far country leaving his belongings in the hands of his servant. Each was given a responsibility according to his ability. To one was entrusted five talents of silver, to another two and to the third one. The first two invested their talents and doubled their investment while the third servant buried his talent with no increase gained. Upon his return, the Master rewarded the first two servants for their faithfulness and fruitfulness, while the third servant was rebuked for his slothfulness and was cast into outer darkness.

Prophetic Points to Analyze

  • verse 14—talents
  • verse 15— five talents, two talents, one talent
  • verse 16— he that received five talents made five more talents
  • verse 17— he that received two gained two more
  • verses 18 and 25— hid his one talent in the earth
  • verse 25— I was afraid
  • verse 30— cast into outer darkness

Also immediately after his return to this earth, Yeshua will hand out rewards to the saints, which will be positions to be held in his kingdom during the Millennium. Some servants will be the least in his kingdom and some will be the greatest (Matt 5:19). What determines one’s level of rewards (not one’s salvation) in YHVH’s kingdom will be one’s level of faithfulness and obedience to the Master’s instructions; i.e., the Torah as this parable teaches: by one’s works. Yeshua says in Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works [deeds, mode of acting]” (see also Rev 20:12–13).

The number five in Jewish thought is significant because it represents the five books of the Pentateuch or Torah of Elohim. The servant that was given five talents and increased them allegorically means he flourished in obeying YHVH’s Torah commands. The Scriptures say that Torah is our wisdom and understanding (Deut 4:6), our righteousness (Deut 6:25), our blessing (Deut 28:1–14) and our life (Deut 30:16). The wise servant with the five talents recognized this and saw the blessing of Torah in his life and abounded in the loving instructions of YHVH and was rewarded accordingly. He took the five and turned them into ten. Ten signifies completion or entirety, a whole comprising of ten units such as the Ten Commandments or ten men as a representative cross section of Israel to form a minyan (or “number”) in a synagogue for the purpose of reading the Torah. 

In Hebraic thought, two stands for the two tablets of stone upon which the Ten Commandments of YHVH were written. Two is also the number of the shema, which Yeshua stated is the summation of YHVH’s Torah commandments. When asked which is the greatest commandment in the Torah he responded,

You shall love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt 22:37–40)

The servant that had two talents wisely invested them and turned them into four. Four in Hebraic thought pictographically represents the four directions of the compass and corresponds with dalet, the fourth letter in the Hebrew alphabet signifying “a door.” A door has right and left post, a lintel and a threshold. YHVH-Yeshua created this earth with its four directions and he is also the spiritual door leading into the next world, as the Scriptures teach. Additionally, the number two represents the Hebrew letter beth that pictographically represents a house with four being the door of that house. Yeshua is the door to our spiritual house (or mansion, our eternal reward).

The servant that was given one talent buried his in the ground. It was valueless and dead to him. One is the number of self and selfishness. He cared only about himself and walked in fear instead of faith. The number one represents Torah as well, for the Jewish sages teach that all of Torah can be summed up in the phrase, “The just shall live by faith” (Hab 2:4). The slothful servant lived under the control of fear, which is why he buried his talent. The Scriptures teach that without faith it is impossible to please YHVH (Heb 11:6). The wicked servant lacked faith and was rewarded by being cast into of outer darkness (where the light of Torah-truth and the Sun of Righteousness that will light up the New Jerusalem will not shine). This is what we can learn from the Parable of the Talents.