(Matthew 25:1-13)…..“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
This parable is also given to us to remind us that Jesus’ second coming is going to happen. In this parable Jesus (the bridegroom) will return for His bride (those who are His by faith in Him). We are to be ready! We must ask ourselves, “Am I ready for Jesus to come today?” It was a custom sometimes used among the Jews on the occasion of a wedding, that the bridegroom came, attended with his friends, late in the night, to the house of the bride where she was in expectation of his arrival to escort her with pomp and gladness either to his home or another place for a period of feasting.
The bride, attended with her bride-maids at the bridegrooms’ approach, were to go out with lamps in their hands to light his way into the house with ceremony and formality. On these occasions they had usually ten virgins. The ten virgins would have their lamps burning awaiting the wedding party at some point along the way and they would then join the procession to the feast. Many times the bridegroom would tarry at the home of the bride and it would be late before he went to the place of celebration. The virgins were to remain alert with their lamps burning no matter what time or how late the bridegroom and his company came by. If the virgins went to sleep or did not have sufficient oil in their lamps to keep them burning or if they were gone for some reason when the bridegroom came, they would miss out on the festivities and would bring embarrassment to themselves
Now in this parable the Bridegroom is our Lord Jesus Christ, He is so represented in (Psalm 45) – Song of Solomon and often in the New Testament. This speaks to the love Jesus has for His church, His bride. Believers are now betrothed to Christ (Hosea 2:19-20)
The solemnizing of the marriage is reserved for the great day – when the bride – the Lamb’s wife – will have made herself completely ready – (Revelation 19:7-10). The office of these virgins is to meet the bridegroom to wait on the bridegroom when he appears and in the mean time to wait for him
Here is the nature of Christianity. As Christians we are to…….
- Be attendants to Christ in order to honor Him and glorify Him as the Bridegroom
- Follow Him as honorary servants do their masters (John 12:20-26)
- Hold up the name and hold forth the praise of the exalted Jesus
- Believe in, look for and love the appearing of Christ, and act with our whole conduct as if it was today
- Note – He is coming again soon for His Bride? Are you part of the redeemed, saved, born again believers that make up the bride of Christ? Are you ready to meet the Lord Jesus Christ?