“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour,” Jesus, Matthew 25:13.
“No light: so late! and dark and chill the night! O, let us in, that we may find the light! Too late, too late: ye cannot enter now. Have we not heard the bridgegroom is so sweet? O, let us in, tho' late, to kiss his feet! No, no, too late! ye cannot enter now." (Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809-1892, “Late, Late So Late”, second stanza)
As we move into chapter 25, Jesus is teaching His disciples to be personally ready for His coming. While many Bible scholars affirm that this parable was given specifically for the Jewish people, as were other recent parables (Matthew 21:33-39; 22:2-14), there is application for believers of all ethnicities from all times (see Mark 13:37).
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him,’(vv. 1-6).
We need to approach this passage with both some cultural and literary understandings. The Ryrie Study Bible offers these cultural notes on this parable: “There were two phases to Jewish weddings. First, the bridegroom went to the bride’s home to obtain his bride and observe certain religious ceremonies. Then he took his bride to his own home for a resumption of the festivities.”
We also must remember that it is a parable and not an allegory. An allegory is a literary device where multiple objects, persons and actions all have meaning that lie outside the narrative itself; whereas a parable presents a story to teach one primary point.
The one primary point Jesus is making in this parable is to live prepared, for we “know neither the day nor the hour,” (v.13). Jesus is not teaching that 50% of professed believers will lose their salvation. But Jesus does teach that there will be pretenders in the church. His being delayed (v. 5) will expose any pretenders, just as the wicked servant was also exposed (see Matthew 24:48-49).
“ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you,’ (vv.7-12).
We cannot present ourselves as ready based on another’s righteousness. Neither can readiness be purchased or accumulated through religious works. It is a matter of the heart and having a right relationship with Christ Himself. In very some similar teaching, Jesus says “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness,’” (Matthew 7:22-23).
Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me,” (Revelation 3:20). Frequently heaven is compared to a wedding feast (Isaiah 25:6-9; Matthew 22:2; Revelation 19:7-9). Now, the door to the wedding feast is open. But there will come a time when Jesus will lock the door from His side. And it will be too late to enter. So stay awake, be properly clothed, serve others and trim your lamp. “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober,” (1 Thessalonians 5:6).
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