May 22, 2021
Matthew 25:1-13
“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. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”
Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples as He was describing His glorious return and the end of the world. (Matthew 24:3) Ancient Jewish marriage customs were designed that the bridegroom would come to the bride’s house to observe the wedding ritual and then take the bride with him to his house for the completion of the festivities. Lamps were used for the procession during a night wedding. In the text above, Jesus said there were ten virgins. Five are said to be wise because they had oil in their lamps and were prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom. The other five did not have oil and were described as foolish because they were not prepared for his arrival. All ten virgins slept while waiting for the bridegroom. They all knew he was coming but did not know when he would arrive. (Matthew 24:36,44)
Jesus was speaking of those awaiting His arrival, known as the rapture. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) What about the virgins without oil? It’s odd how they were waiting, but we read that they were not ready. Their lamps were empty. According to this text, the bridegroom did not take them with Him when He came. He only took the five wise virgins who had oil in their lamps, then he shut the door. The foolish virgins were alongside the wise virgins. According to this parable of Christ’s return, not all who appeared to be ready for Him, really were. This observation is a sobering one. There are people who may say they belong to Jesus. They are hanging out with Christians and acting the part but when Jesus returns, they may not be ready. It is one thing to have a lamp of profession in your hand but not have the Holy Spirit in your heart. This text along with Matthew 7:21-23 and 13:24-30 reveal that not all who profess or even appear to be Christian truly are. Not everyone who goes to church belongs to Jesus. They are Christian in a name only, nominal Christians. We see here that the foolish virgins missed the rapture.
The virgins who had oil for their lamps were called wise. They were filled and ready for the bridegroom. True Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit and ready for Jesus Christ’s return. But there is another aspect of this parable I find interesting. Jesus said that ALL TEN of the virgins were asleep. Even the virgins who had their lamps full of oil were not alert and watching. They had lost their zeal in their waiting. The startling cry at midnight awakened them all. The virgins who had no oil needed some, the virgins with the oil did not have enough to spare. What if the wise virgins were awake and watching? Would they have been aware of the need that the foolish virgins had and maybe have been able to advise them to buy oil?
The wise virgins were prepared but they did not look to prepare the foolish. Was it their responsibility to prepare the foolish? Not necessarily. However, they were not watching the way they should have been either. What does this mean for those who are ready for the return of Jesus? I venture to say that in our expectation of Him, we should also be alert and about God’s business. Be ready to warn others of His coming wrath.
Dear Nominal Christian, this parable is for you. You say you are a Christian but you have never really repented of your sins and placed your faith solely in Jesus Christ for salvation. You’re doing all the right things in your own strength but you have not surrendered your life to Christ and trusted in the completed work He accomplished on the cross. If you are not sure of your salvation, the Bible tells us to examine ourselves, (2 Corinthians 13:5) I encourage you to follow this link to learn more about salvation through Jesus Christ. https://in-times-like-these.com/do-you-know-jesus/
Dear Sleeping Christian, this parable is for you. You have repented of your sins and placed your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. You’re filled with the Holy Spirit and awaiting Christ’s return but in your waiting, you’ve lost your zeal. You are sleeping comfortably in your comfort zone. Not going out trying to win a lost soul to Jesus. You await His return, having no urgent concern of those around you who are perishing. You’re not watching. You are sleeping on the job. I exhort you to be alert and ready to tell others of Jesus.(Psalm 96:3, Matthew 24:14, 28:19-20,Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8)
1 Thessalonians 5:2-6
“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”
Scripture For Further Study
Matthew 24, Luke 12:31-40, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, Titus 2:13-15, Hebrews 9:28, 2 Peter 3:3-14, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 3:2
In Times Like These 