One of the great parables of Jesus is found in Mt. 25:1-13. It serves as a wake-up call, as a warning, and as a picture of the miraculous work of the salvation of God through Christ. This parable immediately follows the vivid prophetic description Jesus gives us in Mt. 24, of the tribulation and shakings that will occur at the end of the age, just before His return. It is clearly evident, when we read Mt. 24, that we are seeing in our time these described prophetic signs come to pass. It is at this point, that the parable of the ten virgins and an impending wedding, takes place.
To understand the setting of the parable, it is necessary to understand the Jewish marriage customs at the time of the parable. Two families enter into a covenant of marriage. The bridegroom then goes to prepare a place for himself and his soon bride in his father's house. When the father of the bridegroom is satisfied that all preparations for this bridal chamber have been completed, he tells his son to go and get his bride. The bridegroom then goes to "steal" his bride away from her house, and brings her to their marriage chamber. Jesus describes Himself as this bridegroom according to the Jewish customs, in the following verses:
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house, are many mansions (dwelling, to wait for, await one, to tarry, to endure, to remain as and not to become something different): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye my be also. And wither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Jn. 14:1-4
Of the timing of His return, Jesus again refers to the Jewish wedding customs when He says:
"...when ye shall see all these things (the prophetic events of Mt. 24), know that is near, even at the doors...But of that day and hour knoweth no man,...but My Father only. But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Mt. 24:33-37
Since we are seeing the fulfillment of Mt. 24 taking place before our very eyes, it is important to learn from this parable of Mt. 25.
The ten virgins have gone out (Rev. 18:4) to meet the bridegroom, taking their lamps with them. Jesus tells us that five of the ten are wise, because they took an additional vessel of oil (the Holy Spirit, the oil of gladness, the oil of anointing that sets apart, and consecrates) with them, as well as their lamps. The five remaining are called foolish, because they are not well prepared, and have no oil. The bridegroom tarries, is delayed, so the ten virgins, even the wise, fall asleep. At midnight the cry (shriek, scream, Heb. thunderings) sounds, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him." (v. 6). All ten virgins rise to go out again, and they trim the wicks in their lamps to prepare them for lighting. The five foolish virgins, having been ill-prepared, do not have any oil left with which to light their lamps. Since the Bridegroom was delayed, and didn't appear when they had thought He would, the foolish five, still did not prepare to have the extra oil on hand for the actual coming of the Bridegroom. They had the opportunity to do so, because of the delay, but did not.
The meaning of the word "wise" used in the parable means to know, to be thoughtful, discreet. It also means to reign in, or curb, feelings and thoughts in order to (properly) perceive and judge. The delay of the Bridegroom served to show who was genuinely prepared for His coming, and who was not. His failure to appear when and how expected caused the unedifying emotions, and preconceived ideas regarding His return, and the timing and the circumstances of His coming, to be exposed in the foolish. Their true feelings were shown in their lack of preparation.
The "wise" virgins, on the other hand, shone in the light of their oil-filled lamps. The wise had prepared themselves, and like the wife in Revelation, "had made herself ready" (Rev. 19:7).The prophet Daniel describes the wise:
"And they that be wise shall shine (send out light, be light) as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever."
Dan. 12:3
The five unprepared, foolish virgins in this parable were not allowed to enter in with the Bridegroom.
Don't be "fooled". The season is upon us. The prophet Daniel tells us that the final portion of the prophetic age began when the Messiah was cut off (Dan. 9:25-26). Jewish Rabbis know that the prophetic timetable has brought near the appearing of the One they await, their Messiah. Matthew 24 tells us the specific signs of the season of His appearing, and the end of the age, which we are seeing fulfilled.
There is another important piece of information in this parable to keep in mind. The cry that the Bridegroom comes came at midnight. The word "midnight" has great spiritual meaning. Many important events in scripture happened at midnight.
The "wise" virgins, on the other hand, shone in the light of their oil-filled lamps. The wise had prepared themselves, and like the wife in Revelation, "had made herself ready" (Rev. 19:7).The prophet Daniel describes the wise:
"And they that be wise shall shine (send out light, be light) as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever."
Dan. 12:3
The five unprepared, foolish virgins in this parable were not allowed to enter in with the Bridegroom.
Don't be "fooled". The season is upon us. The prophet Daniel tells us that the final portion of the prophetic age began when the Messiah was cut off (Dan. 9:25-26). Jewish Rabbis know that the prophetic timetable has brought near the appearing of the One they await, their Messiah. Matthew 24 tells us the specific signs of the season of His appearing, and the end of the age, which we are seeing fulfilled.
There is another important piece of information in this parable to keep in mind. The cry that the Bridegroom comes came at midnight. The word "midnight" has great spiritual meaning. Many important events in scripture happened at midnight.
There are two Hebrew words used for midnight. One means the depth of night, a season, calamity, misery, protective covering, from a root meaning winding spiral stairs that fold back upon themselves. As in climbing a spiral staircase, facing one direction lay calamity and misery, but at the same time, and in the same space, at the turn of the spiral, a different direction provides a protective covering. The two exist in the one space.
A second Hebrew word for midnight means an arrow dividing, to divide or cut in two, to halve, pierce or sever, to cut off in the midst, be finished. It is a time when there is a division or separation from, when something is cut off or finished.
In Ex. 11:3, the plague of death struck the Egyptian first born at midnight, but passed over the homes of the Hebrews, who had covered their doorposts and lintels with the blood of the lamb. In one direction lay death, and in another came deliverance.
In Judges 16:3, although the enemy had set an ambush for Samson ("like the sun", glittering, shining) outside the city of Gaza (strong, mighty, fierce), Samson tore out the protective gates and posts of the city at midnight, and left it defenseless.
In Ruth 3:8, Boaz awakens at midnight, and finds Ruth at his feet. His personal destiny, and the future line of Messiah, suddenly take a turn.
In 1 Kings 3:20, a dead and living child are switched at midnight, and the wise King Solomon, discerns the true mother's heart by threatening to divide the living child into two halves (see definition of midnight).
Job 34:20 describes a moment, which occurs at midnight, when even the rich and powerful fall into the hands of God, and all of their power becomes useless.
In Psalm 119:62, the psalmist rises, like the ten virgins, to give thanks (yadah) at midnight because of the righteous judgments of God.
When the cry sounds at midnight proclaiming the coming of the Bridegroom, don't let it catch us unprepared. Let us be wise, prepared, and shining with the light of the abundant oil of our lamps, having made ourselves ready.
To Give/Contact:
P.O. Box 155
Christmas, Fl. 32709
http://everlastingcovenant.wixsite.com/theshroud
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
Facebook: Kenneth E. Stevenson
A second Hebrew word for midnight means an arrow dividing, to divide or cut in two, to halve, pierce or sever, to cut off in the midst, be finished. It is a time when there is a division or separation from, when something is cut off or finished.
In Ex. 11:3, the plague of death struck the Egyptian first born at midnight, but passed over the homes of the Hebrews, who had covered their doorposts and lintels with the blood of the lamb. In one direction lay death, and in another came deliverance.
In Judges 16:3, although the enemy had set an ambush for Samson ("like the sun", glittering, shining) outside the city of Gaza (strong, mighty, fierce), Samson tore out the protective gates and posts of the city at midnight, and left it defenseless.
In Ruth 3:8, Boaz awakens at midnight, and finds Ruth at his feet. His personal destiny, and the future line of Messiah, suddenly take a turn.
In 1 Kings 3:20, a dead and living child are switched at midnight, and the wise King Solomon, discerns the true mother's heart by threatening to divide the living child into two halves (see definition of midnight).
Job 34:20 describes a moment, which occurs at midnight, when even the rich and powerful fall into the hands of God, and all of their power becomes useless.
In Psalm 119:62, the psalmist rises, like the ten virgins, to give thanks (yadah) at midnight because of the righteous judgments of God.
When the cry sounds at midnight proclaiming the coming of the Bridegroom, don't let it catch us unprepared. Let us be wise, prepared, and shining with the light of the abundant oil of our lamps, having made ourselves ready.
To Give/Contact:
P.O. Box 155
Christmas, Fl. 32709
http://everlastingcovenant.wixsite.com/theshroud
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
Facebook: Kenneth E. Stevenson
No comments:
Post a Comment