UNDERSTANDING THE TEN VIRGINS

When Jesus Christ returns in the clouds at His Second Coming, “the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,”  (I Thessalonians 4:16b-17).  Christ’s Second Coming will have two main purposes:  to rescue His bride and to initiate the outpouring of His divine wrath upon the wicked.

But do all “Christians” go in the rapture?

CONSIDER THE TEACHING OF JESUS ABOUT THE TEN VIRGINS.  FIVE WERE “WISE” AND FIVE WERE “FOOLISH:”

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’  Then all those virgins arose 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, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’  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.

“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’  But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming,”  (Matthew 25:1-13).

In this parable, as well as the following parables, JESUS UNDERSCORES THE NECESSITY FOR PREPAREDNESS FOR HIS RETURN.  In this parable, ALL were virgins.  ALL were looking forward to the return of their bridegroom.  This can be said of all believers everywhere.  ALL believers are “virgins.”

However, only five of the virgins were prepared for the Master’s return by having enough oil.

In ancient Jewish marriages, the engagement begins with the prospective groom going off to build a house for himself and his bride to live in after their wedding.  The building of the house is done under the direction of the groom’s father.  It is only when the father gives the okay that the groom is allowed to return for his bride.  So, the day and the hour of the groom’s return is unknown both to the groom and his bride.  Jesus said about His return, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,” (Mark 13:32).

The prospective bride’s job was to prepare herself for her bridegroom’s return.  How does she do this?

Leonard Ravenhill once observed that he had been to weddings all over the world.  All had different customs and different ceremonies.  But one thing was held in common by all the brides:  none of them were dirty!  All had bathed and dressed in a manner fitting to their new status.  ALL HAD PREPARED THEMSELVES FOR THE GROOM’S RETURN.

In Revelation 19:7, scripture declares that “the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made HERSELF ready.”

In Jesus’ parable, the lack of being prepared is shown in five of the virgins who did not have sufficient oil to keep their lamps burning.  Their lamps were going out prior to the groom’s appearance.  In Jewish tradition, the groom departs to build a house for his bride.  Sometimes, the building took a long time.  Upon being alerted that the groom’s return was imminent, the bride would take a lamp, light it, and place it in the window of her house.  The lighted lamp would be a SIGNAL TO THE GROOM THAT THE BRIDE WAS STILL EXPECTANT AND PREPARED FOR HIS RETURN!  Without the lighted lamp in the window, the groom could take it to mean that his bride had lost interest and was no longer willing and ready for him.  If the lamp was dark, the groom would pass by.

So it is in the parable of the virgins.  Five of the virgins had their lamps brightly shining and lit for their groom’s return.  Five had allowed their lamps to go out.  The foolish virgins may have still been wanting their groom, but were passed over.  Their lamps had, sadly, gone out.

Another important point made in this parable was that at midnight “a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’”  THIS CRY WAS HEARD BY ALL TEN VIRGINS, BOTH WISE AND FOOLISH!  At this point, all ten virgins get up and get ready for the groom’s coming.  Although they did not know the exact hour, they were aware that His arrival was imminent!

BUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PREPARATION WAS PAST.  The foolish virgins were under the impression that they could scramble around at the last minute to buy oil, but found this was really not so.  Many Christians are foolishly putting off living holy and faithful lives to God today, believing that they will have time to straighten up later on.

What does the “oil” stand for?  The oil is the Holy Spirit of God.  It is His very own Presence that fills us and makes us ready. We daily get filled up with the oil of His presence by spending time with Him. We do not grieve Him by living in ungodly, worldly fashion; instead, we live to please Him.  He is more important to us than all the world has to offer. Thereby, we are daily filled with the oil of His precious presence.  Our lamps stay burning.  WE LIVE PREPARED, READY FOR HIS RETURN!

Some Christians are under the illusion that the point of their salvation is all that is necessary.  But consider this:  our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Now, if God personally came to your house, how would you prepare for Him?  Would you have pornography, drunkenness, worldliness, and idols set up?  If it is His very own Presence that is the oil for you, are you welcoming Him in to fill you?

Jesus gave the parable of the 10 virgins as a warning to stay ready for His return.  It is at the return of Christ that we are “caught up” in the clouds to meet Him in the air.

In Revelation 3:10-11, Jesus promises His faithful virgins that “Because you have kept My command to PERSEVERE, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.  Behold, I am coming quickly! HOLD FAST WHAT YOU HAVE, THAT NO ONE MAY TAKE YOUR CROWN.”

This warning to the wise is repeated in the parable of the 10 virgins.  At the point of the imminent return of the groom, the 5 foolish virgins try to take some of the oil from the 5 wise virgins who had stocked up. “And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  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.’” 

THERE IS A WARNING HERE TO THE WISE ONES: 

GOD NEVER TOLD US TO SACRIFICE OUR “OIL” FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO LIVE COMPLACENTLY.  

DO NOT DEPLETE YOUR OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BY SPREADING YOURSELF TOO THIN FOR THE FOOLISH.  GUARD YOURSELVES CAREFULLY.  KEEP YOUR OWN OIL OF RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD FULL.

We are to live holy and godly lives, being careful that the sinfulness, worldliness, complacency, and apathy of others around us (even fellow Christians) does not deplete us!

So, do all Christians get “caught up” at the return of Christ?  According to the Lord’s own teaching, only those who are PREPARED for His return will be caught up to meet Him.