THE TEN VIRGINS

MATTHEW 25:1

A. "THEN SHALL THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BE LIKENED TO TEN VIRGINS, WHICH TOOK THEIR LAMPS, AND WENT TO MEET THE BRIDEGROOM"
  1. The disciples, and the Jews in general, knew the custom of wedding ceremonies in their country:
    1. It was customary for the bridegroom to come to receive his bride ceremoniously and with a lot of fanfare!
    2. Many of those ceremonies took place at night or early in the morning.
  2. Our Lord used this ancient custom to portray his second coming. The story of the ten virgins has a timely application for our day:
B. THE TEN VIRGINS
  1. A virgin in Bible terminology:
    1. A woman, unmarried, never having known a man, is spoken of in the Bible as a virgin - Gen. 24:16; 2 Sam. 13:2; Isa. 7:5
    2. A virtuous woman, even though she has been married is called a virgin - Ruth 3:11; Prov. 12:4; 31:10
  2. This expression is used, also, to describe the purity of the true church: 2 Cor. 11:1, 2; Rev. 12:1-17
  3. The ten virgins represent two classes of people in the church of God:
    1. Five were foolish.
    2. Five were wise.
  4. Let us note, briefly, their similarity:
    1. They all were of the same faith.
    2. They had the same form of worship and followed the same profession of their faith in conversation and in dress.
    3. They all were members of the same church, and enjoyed the same privileges.
    4. They all believed in the imminency of their Lord's return.
    5. They carried lamps, a mark of their faith - Ps. 119:105
    6. They all fell asleep in the waiting period. There was no seeming difference.
  5. Their dissimilarity:
    1. Five were wise and five were foolish.
    2. The wise provided oil in their vessels while the foolish neglected this opportunity.
    3. Neglect is one of the deadliest dangers facing the people of God - Heb. 2:3
    4. It is not enough to have a form of godliness, we must have more.
    5. Oil, spiritual life and energy in the soul is our greatest need at this time - Rev. 3:14-17
C. THE CLIMAX OF THE PARABLE
  1. A delay of the coming of the bridegroom:
    1. Creates a waiting period for the saints.
    2. That, in turn, causes relaxation and sleepiness.
  2. Fell asleep:
    1. That means that they became unconscious of their own condition and the events that took place.
    2. It meant that the five foolish virgins neglected precious time to provide oil in their vessels.
  3. The Midnight cry: "The bridegroom cometh":
    1. An awakening takes place; all have been aroused out of their slumber.
    2. They all trimmed their lamps; that means that all made sure that they lived up to the form of their faith.
    3. Up to this moment, no difference seemed in evidence.
  4. Suddenly a difference is found between believer and believer:
    1. Self-examination shows that five of them were unprepared to march with the bridegroom to the banquet hall.
    2. In desperation they turn to the follow believers for sharing their oil, but that does not work; everyone must provide for his own.
    3. The period of "share your faith" is over; each has just enough to keep safe for himself.
  5. That, dear friends, gives us the picture of the closing events as they affect the members of the church of God:
    1. Shall we use the waiting time wisely?
    2. Do we have oil in our vessels?


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