Title: Parable of the Ten Virgins
Content br> Jesus gave many parables. There are about 40 parables.
“Jesus told them many things in parables” (Matthew 13:3).
Jesus spoke in many parables, and the disciples were curious about this and asked him a question.
“Why do you speak to them in parables?” (Matthew 13:10)
When Jesus was asked the question, he explained why he used the parable as follows.
“He answered and said, It has been granted to you to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to them” (Matthew 13:11).
“Therefore I speak to them in parables, because they see, but do not see, and hear, but do not hear, and do not understand” (Matthew 13:13).
This parable is often referred to as the “parable of the ten virgins” or “the parable of the five wise virgins and the five foolish virgins.” This parable tells the story of the bride's ten friends waiting for the groom to come to the bride's house on their wedding day.
Through this parable, Jesus gave us a spiritual lesson about what we must do in order to meet Jesus who will come to this earth again. In order to understand more fully the words of this parable, we need to know the marriage customs of the Jews in Jesus' day.
At that time, Jewish weddings were held at the bride's house in the evening or at night, and wedding feasts could last for a week or two. Guests attending the wedding could attend after being selected and invited by the host, and they had to wear robes to attend. Some wealthy and noble people decided in advance who would attend the wedding and sent them all to make robes. So it was a great honor to be invited to attend the wedding, and it was a great disrespect for the owner not to respond to this invitation. The culmination of their wedding is when the groom, along with his friends, arrives at the house of the future wife, enters the wedding banquet with the bride and groom's friends and a small number of invited guests, where the feast begins. Once they entered and the wedding feast began, the doors were closed and no one could enter the wedding feast after that. Each of the bride's friends needed a personal lamp to welcome the groom to the bride's house. Because it was a night, and because it was an important courtesy of the wedding.
At a Jewish wedding feast, especially the bride's unmarried friends who were chosen as bridesmaids to welcome the groom to the bride's house were very important people, and it was a great honor to be the bridesmaids.
Jesus’ words begin with “the ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” They were all waiting to meet the groom. For some reason, the groom who was expected to come in the early evening came much later than expected. All the virgins waiting were tired and asleep. It was not until late at night that the news came that the groom was coming near the bride's house. A man says to the ten virgins. “Behold, the bridegroom, come out to meet him.” The virgins wake up and prepare their lamps, respectively.
But, what is this? The five virgins who did not have enough oil were in trouble. The light is going out. It was not properly expected. They want to share some oil with the five virgins who have enough oil. But the wise virgins say that it is not enough to share them all, so it is better to go to the oil sellers and buy them. Eventually they went out to buy oil. In the meantime, only five wise virgins, who had arrived at the bride's house and prepared lamps and oil, entered the wedding feast. After that, the door was firmly closed.
After the door was closed, five virgins who went out to buy oil came back and asked to open the door. But the door to the wedding house was not opened again for them.
We receive the following spiritual lesson through the words of this short parable of Jesus.
First, it is a lesson that Jesus, the bridegroom, must come. The Bible speaks of Jesus as the bridegroom and the saints he will meet as the bride.
“Let us rejoice and rejoice greatly, and give him glory; for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made them” (Revelation 19:7).
“Behold, I am coming soon, and blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7).
“In the middle of the night there came a voice, behold, the bridegroom, come out to meet him,” the Bible said. The bridegroom is near. Jesus, the bridegroom, will surely come according to the Bible.
“Men of Galilee, why are you standing and looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11)
“You have said it, Jesus said, but I tell you that after this you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64).
“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27).
“In the same way Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, and will appear a second time, free of sin, for salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28).
“Be patient with the way and be strong, for the coming of the Lord is near” (James 5:8).
“After a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay” (Hebrews 10:37).
“Having waited for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
“He who testified of these said, ‘Truly, I am coming soon.’ Amen, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
Second, we are taught that there are only a few people who will meet the bridegroom Jesus and enter the wedding banquet. Not all people on this earth will meet the coming Jesus, be raptured, and participate in the glorious wedding feast. Few will take part in this wedding feast. not the majority. Not all mankind will enter into eternal life. Few enter eternal life. Only the elect will meet the coming Jesus and participate in the eternal marriage feast of the Lamb. Jesus said.
“Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
Third, only those who have prepared will enter the wedding feast. Only five wise virgins entered the wedding feast. Why were only these people allowed to enter the wedding feast? Because it was prepared.
“Those who were ready went into the wedding supper together” (Matthew 25:10).
What did they prepare? I prepared the lamp and oil.
“The prudent took oil in vessels and brought them with their lamps” (Matthew 25:4).
Lanterns and oil are essential for welcoming the groom as the bridesmaids at the wedding house. This is because if there is not one of these, and if it is not enough, the bridegroom cannot be met. In order to welcome Jesus, the bridegroom, we too must prepare. Because only those who have been prepared will enter the wedding banquet. What should I prepare? You need to have the essentials ready to welcome the groom. It was a lamp and enough oil for the virgins. For us, it is the right conduct of a clean soul and saints through faith and repentance in the Word and prayer.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).
“For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
“He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. But the cowardly and the unbeliever and the abominable and the murderers and the fornicators and the sorcerers and the idolaters and all the liars They shall have part in the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:7-8).
“The gates will never be shut by day, for there is no night, and men will enter it with the glory and honor of all nations; and no unclean thing or an abomination or a liar shall enter it, but the Lamb's book of life. only those who are written in the Bible” (Revelation 21:25-27).
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may come to the tree of life, and have authority to enter the city through the gates. Everyone who pays will be outside the city” (Rev 22:14-15).
“Let us rejoice and rejoice greatly, and give glory to him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made preparations, and has granted him to put on a bright and clean linen, which is the right deed of the saints.” The angel said to me, Write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “This is the true word of God” (Revelation 19:7-9).
Fourth, only those who are awake enter the wedding feast. Jesus said. “Watch therefore, for you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13). From these words, we can see that the wise virgins who met the bridegroom and entered the wedding feast were those who were awake.
They prepared lamps and oil in advance because they were awake, and they were able to prepare enough oil especially in case of emergency. A sure preparation for what lies ahead cannot be done unless we are alert. You can prepare only by staying awake. We will face great things in the future. It is the second coming of Jesus and the meeting of Jesus again.
This event is more important and meaningful than anything we will ever encounter in the world. Because this is what determines our eternity. We must be awake in order to meet Jesus who will come again and enjoy eternal glory with Him.
“And you know this time, that the hour has already come to awaken from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is deep and the day is near, so that we put off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, and come by day Be modest, not in licentiousness and drunkenness, not in licentiousness and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not succumb to the lusts of the flesh” (Romans 13:11-14).
Fifth, fools cannot enter the wedding feast. Foolish people cannot attain salvation and cannot receive eternal life. Eventually they come to the wedding feast ?/td>