This is the Truth Network. My friend, is the rapture really a signless event, as some say? That is, that there's no prophecy to be fulfilled between now and the rapture? And do all Christians go, regardless of the way they're living?
Well, stay with us, listen, and learn. You're listening to Until He Comes, a blend of prophetic and practical biblical studies with Dr. Greg Hinnant, author of The Second Coming of Christ, His Appearing, His Return, Our Preparation. And now, author and teacher Greg Hinnant. Welcome to the broadcast.
Today we're going to talk about arguably the most important parable that applies to our times. Straight from the lips of Jesus. It's in Matthew 25. Verses 1 through 13. We know it as the parable of the ten virgins, or bridesmaids.
We're going to give a slow and thoughtful reading to this text because this is what we're expounding today. This is what you need to understand.
Now, Jesus begins in verse 1. Then Shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins.
Now, the word then is Is true to the original Greek, and it refers to what goes before.
Now, when you examine Matthew 24. In the Previous Statements to this beginning of this new chapter, you find that Jesus is talking about a fig tree that budded. as Israel Not being planted but budded, and I believe that occurred in the 1990s during the Aliyah, in which a million people came into Israel, immigrated there from Eastern Europe and Russia. A significant change. for the fig tree nation of Israel.
it began to bud. Then there were the days of Noah. He mentions his coming being like the days of Noah. One is suddenly taken, The other left. Then he talks about the homeowner who was watching.
and did not allow his house to be broken into, And then he talked about the faithful servant versus the unfaithful servant.
Now, there were very serious consequences for the unfaithful servant for not. Being faithful, he is He was demoted, and he had his portion with the hypocrites. All of these. spiritual readiness. prophecies or warnings.
Bring us to Matthew 25:1. This is the last of a series of spiritual warnings. that Jesus taught us. And so the word then looks back to these other points of teaching which the Master told us to help us realize we must be ready when He comes. that it makes a difference whether we are a wise or foolish householder.
It makes a difference whether we are faithful or unfaithful in our present duties. It makes a difference whether we are ready to go in a moment and be taken away. as in the days of Noah, and we certainly know we're in those days now. Those days were filled with violence and God's way had been disrupted and changed and perverted. We are certainly that.
in this generation.
So we come to the beginning of 25:1. Then shall the kingdom of heaven, or this is how we get to heaven. Be likened unto ten virgins. Why ten instead of one?
Well, we'll talk about that later. and they took their lamps This was most likely a torch lamp. And they went forth to meet the bridegroom.
So they knew who the bridegroom was. They knew he was coming. And they were preparing to meet him. This is significant. They weren't waiting at a venture, that is, waiting for some random bridegroom to come along.
No, they knew who he was. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. What does this bring us to?
Well, Jesus uses this wise and foolish motif. in other locations in the New Testament. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them.
So the foolish had oil. But they didn't have extra oil.
So they obviously weren't preparing for a long journey or for a night journey. But the wise took oil in their vessels, along with their lamps.
So the wise were foreseeing and thoughtful, Prudent? They were prepared. And they took extra oil.
So here's a difference between the wise and the foolish. The foolish do not have extra oil, and the wise do. We'll talk about what this extra oil is. a little later. While the bridegroom tarried, They all slumbered and slept.
So this tells us that the bridegroom, whom they knew and what was they were expecting. He tarried, he waited. Why?
Well, we're not told. But we are told that he did not come at the initially expected time or during that initially expected time. Period. They all slumbered and slept. That means they lost There vigilance, they lost their heightened sense of expectation and began to relax, and soon they fell asleep.
fell asleep. And this sleep, what does it represent?
Well, it represents indifference to one's own sin. That is, you stop watching over your soul and you stop confessing your sins. You stop. striving to walk in righteousness. to please the Lord.
And it means you Become indifferent about your own spiritual condition and others around you. And this happens to individuals and spreads throughout churches. It also means in this context in this specific context. Indifference to the coming of the bridegroom. They were at a heightened sense of expectation, but then he didn't come when they expected, and as a result, they fell asleep.
And at midnight oh, so this is at the darkest hour. When the rulers of the darkness of this world are holding sway, When the world is not filled with righteousness, but filled with spiritual darkness. the midnight hour. The worst hour. There was a cry made.
A call. A summons went out. It was loud, it was disturbing, it was shrill. What is it? Behold!
That is, look up The bridegroom is coming. That is He's coming now. He didn't come before, but this is the time. In the words of those who announced the attack on Pearl Harbor, this is no drill, or This is the real thing.
So the cry goes out that the coming of the bridegroom is imminent. Then an order is attached to this crop. Go ye out to meet him. That is, The virgins, these bridesmaids, were not just to sit. and do nothing.
No, they were to rise. they were to awaken themselves, and then they were to trim their lamps.
so they would burn brightly. with maximum light and minimum smoke. These and they got these torches ready. Because when you travel across the rocky terrain of Israel at night, in the first century. You had to watch out for stones.
It was not easy to walk that path.
So they were ready. They had to have their lamps ready. They were going to leave the home of the bride, and they were going to go out and meet the bridegroom as he was coming toward them.
So this verse is a shrill cry announcing the imminence of the coming of the bridegroom, and after a long period of disappointing delay, And then an urgent command to rise and act. Go out. To meet him. Go. Don't be indifferent.
Don't sit silent. And motionless, get up, rise up, go And you know the churches. hearing this cry right now, I believe that God is speaking this cry as I Talk to you about this parable. He's calling his people to awaken from their sin, awaken from lack of self-examination, awaken to to righteousness and quit compromising. with unbiblical morality.
which is often obviously immorality. but instead to return To the righteousness of the scripture. Return to an active. expectant hope. for the coming of the bridegroom.
Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
So now all are awake as a result of the cry. This, not just the wise. But also the foolish. are now wide awake. They understand that the coming of the bridegroom is imminent, and they are trimming their lamps or preparing their Torches.
And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil. For our lamps are gone out, or going out is more accurate.
So we see an appeal from those who are foolish to those who are wise. They want them to help them. And they want them to give this oil. That is, be charitable, be gracious, and just donate this to us.
Well, what did the wise say? But the wise answered, saying, Not so. Oh, this is surprising. Wise Christians And we believe that these bridesmaids represent Christians. Wise Christians should also be merciful Christians.
This seems to be quite a harsh response. The situation was urgent. the bridegroom was going to appear any moment. And yet these wise ones would not share their extra oil With the foolish. Seems to be an unchristian or non-Christian act to me.
Let's read on. They said Lest there be not enough for us and you. All right, we accept that. And they added this: but go rather to them that sell and buy forever. Yourselves.
This is a most significant statement. This all could not be given. Hmm. It had to be bought that is a price had to be paid to buy it. That is, these foolish virgins would have to buy their all from the oil shop.
in the local agora. or local forum, And while they went to Maya, the bridegroom came.
So while the foolish were about the business of paying the price. to get the extra all, here comes the bridegroom, all of a sudden. He came. Finally, the anticipated moment had occurred. and they that were ready, went in with him.
To the marriage. Oh, this is the most significant statement. These four words, I want to bear down on them. I want you to hear them, my friend. Listen carefully.
They that were ready. Are you ready? For the coming of the bridegroom, Christ. What does it mean to be ready? To be ready means to be fully prepared for an anticipated.
Event.
Now, if you're going to be fully prepared for that event, you must first of all know that the event is going to occur. And in this context, Christians have to know that Jesus is going to come back in a sudden appearing, described by Paul as a mystery in 1 Thessalonians 4. fourteen through eighteen.
So we have to know that the anticipated event is going to occur. And then we have to know that we have to get ready. That is, there's something for us to do. We don't just sit idly. We actively prepare.
And then the next thing is we have to know how. To prepare. How do you get ready? How do you get ready for the rapture, my friend?
Well, I'll tell you in a nutshell, you seek the Lord every day. to know him personally, feed on his word, worship at his feet, sing praises in him as the psalms urgently call us to do repeatedly. You study his word as we're charged by Paul in the second letter. to Timothy, study to show yourself approved unto God. And then you walk in the Word of God.
You are a doer of the Word, as James says. not just a hearer only. And you accept the test that God sends into your life, you're probably being tested right now as I speak to you. Accept that test. Count it all joy when you fall into that test, James says.
Let patients have his perfect work. You're being proved in that test. And if you're tested now you won't need to go into the final time. of testing, which is tribulation. No, not at all.
No, you'll be exempt from that time. And then The last thing we have to do is to get ready.
Okay, you have to know that you need to be ready, you have to know how to be ready, and then you have to get ready. You have to go through this preparation process, which I just succinctly described to you: seeking the Lord. Studying the Word of God and obeying it. I would add to that, following the guidance and checks of the Holy Spirit. Listening to his voice as he calls you to particular ministries, gives you gifts, and you use those gifts, and then you help the church fulfill its threefold call to be witnesses, to preach the gospel, that is to evangelize, and to make disciples.
As you're doing these things and going through your tests of faith and patience and endurance now, you will know that whenever the bridegroom comes, you will be ready, that is, fully prepared. for the anticipated. event. This month, for a gift of any amount, receive Dr. Hinnant's book, Gold Tried in the Fire.
It is filled with spiritually rich biblical teachings, tested truths for trying times that will help you buy the gold tried in the fire Jesus challenged us to obtain in Revelation 3.18. This book will change your life. For a gift of $60 or more, we'll send you the complete four-volume Hinnant End Times Prophecy Collection, The Second Coming of Christ, The Tribulation Story, Revelation Notes, a verse-by-verse commentary on Revelation, and the Day of the Lord commentary, which interprets all Old Testament prophecies and foreshadowings of the end times. And if you are a Logos Bible software user, you may purchase all four of these books from the Logos. Online bookstore.
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Now, again, Dr. Hinnant.
So they that were ready went in. With him. To the marriage. This is obviously the marriage. Supper of the Lamb, which is referred to in Revelation 19.
And what about the rest?
Well, the door was Shut. We're going to talk about that door. what or perhaps who? It is. The door was Shut.
Some translations say locked. In other words, When the bridegroom came, The ones who are ready. went in. No one else went in. Let that sink in on you, my friend.
Only those that were ready went in. Are you ready? Are you preparing for Christ's return actively? The rest came upon a shut door that was locked. A s uh irreversible event had occurred.
Now afterward came the other virgins. saying, Lord, Lord, open to us and now After the fact, after the entrance to the door to the marriage. These other virgins came in, they called the bridegroom Lord. This is a significant statement. This is clear evidence that these bridesmaids were believers.
First of all, as I said earlier, they knew who he was and were waiting for him. No non Christian would do that. And then, secondly, here, they call him Lord. Lord, Lord. Open to us.
That is, we are like the others in that we are. Subjects of yours.
So We should come in too. But remember now, they didn't have. The extra or. when the bridegroom appeared. But he answered and he said, Verily or truly, I say unto you, I know you not.
I know you're not. that they did not have an intimate and close fellowship with him. He was not used to seeing them Come to him for fellowship and worship. No. They were distant Christians, not close Christians.
And I think it's fair to say that in any church in America you have some Christians who are distant from the Lord. Others who are striving to be close to him, and are close to him. Those he would know. Because he sees them and communes with them every day through prayer, through worship. Through the Word of God.
through his guidance by the Spirit. But these, he says, I know you not. They called him Lord. They were Christians. But he said, I don't know you intimately.
Verse thirteen, Watch, therefore, Watch, therefore, for you do not know the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man comes.
Now, obviously, Jesus is saying, Because he's speaking of himself now, the Son of Man. That's a reference to himself.
So clearly, he is identifying with the bridegroom in this parable. And he's saying Watch. That is be on the alert? Be on the lookout. Be circumspect looking in all directions For his coming.
So we see the second key word in this text. Be wise And now he adds Be watching Be Watching just like the householder he described a few verses earlier, who was watching so his house. Would not be broken into. That is, so he would not suffer loss. Put into this context that we're discussing, that would be a Christian who watches for Christ's coming and therefore does not.
Suffer the loss. a being left behind.
So here we have the most important parable, arguably. For our times. Because, as we will discuss and I will explain to you a little later, we're living right in the middle of this parable right now.
Now as I go through this message, my friend, I'm going to challenge you. I'm going to probe you. I'm going to urge you. To respond to this message, not just to listen and say, well, that's good, I agree with Dr. Hennett.
Oh, that's good too. But We're doing so because we're in agreement with the Word of God. And then If you believe it. Respond. Let this teaching change you, not just engage you.
Now, we're going to ask a series of questions as we go through this study. This will be an An analysis by an interrogation. And so what are these questions? The first is, who are the bridesmaids? This is a crucial question.
It is a matter of debate. Who are these bridesmaids? Who do they represent?
Some say they represent the Jews. And I say emphatically, No, that's impossible. First of all, they knew who they were waiting for. They knew The bridegroom. Jewish people today who are Orthodox Jews or uh non-religious Jews.
are not looking for Jesus as their Messiah.
Now those who are Orthodox, The religious Jews are looking for a Messiah, but not for Jesus. No. If you ask a rabbi about Jesus, he will tell you very quickly. that he is considered a false prophet. A messianic pretender.
A man who essentially got what he deserved Some will consider him an insurrectionist. This was the charge that was brought against him in the Roman court.
So the Jews do not accept Jesus as their Messiah, not at all, not yet. Not yet. That day is coming, but not yet.
So these cannot be the Jews. And as I said earlier, these bridesmaids, even the foolish ones, called The bridegroom. Lord. And we know there's only one person Who calls Jesus Lord, and that is a Christian.
Now because the Bible teaches very clearly In John 3, we must be born again. I believe that This parable spoken by Jesus, who also told us we must be born again. Reflex. The fact that a Christian is not just a professing Christian, someone who says they're Christian and maybe attends a Christian church, but one who has had a born-again experience, a genuine convert. to the faith.
Now also Jesus has spoken his last words to the Jews. Before this, He was finished with the Jews. In other words, this message was spoken to Jewish believers, not to unbelievers. Listen to what had happened. only a few moments before this.
In Matthew 23, Jesus Castigated the disbelieving Jews who were Phariseic in their viewpoint and who rejected him vehemently. He said this to them. Verily I say unto you, this is Matthew 23, 36. Verily I say unto you, that is to you disbelieving Jews, the Jews who reject me as your Messiah, all these things shall come upon this generation. He had prophesied judgment to come upon that generation, and indeed it did forty years later.
The Romans marched into Judah surrounded Jerusalem, The city was besieged. There was a violent conflict that lasted several months, and then Jerusalem fell, and the temple was dismantled, as Jesus said, with not one stone. being left upon another. All these things shall come upon this generation.
So it happened within A 40-year span. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jesus is now lamenting. The heart of God is bleeding. Thou that killest the prophets, I send you prophets to help you, and you reject them and kill them. And stones those who are sent unto you.
How often would I have gathered your children together? Even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not Oh, God is grieved here over the stubbornness of the Jewish people. And let me ask you, friend, Is he grieved over your stubbornness? If he is repent to day, is he grieved over the stubbornness of one of your loved ones, then pray for them, and fast for them. until God convicts them of sin and turns them back to him.
He says, Behold, your house is left desolate, empty. God had forsaken the Jewish temple when Christ leaved it, left it. He's about to leave it in just a moment. For I say unto you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of Jesus. Of the Lord.
So here he's saying that the Jewish temple, the Jewish people, would be desolate of God, empty. His presence would not be with him until Hm. Until they say blessed is he who comes, in the name of the Lord. He's both pronouncing judgment and predicting a future change. The day will come when they say, Blessed is He.
At the moment they said, Cursed is He. We have no king but Caesar. crucify him Crucify this Jesus of Nazareth. But Jesus says the day is coming when they will say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. The Jewish people will indeed be converted after the rapture of the church in great numbers.
There will be a tremendous Jewish Jesus revival in the first half of the tribulation. And then in verse 24:1, Jesus went out and departed from the temple.
So at that time, he had nothing further to say to the disbelieving Jews. That was it. He said everything he had to say to them. The Jews he was speaking to were his disciples, and they represent the embryonic. chart.
So clearly, Jesus Bridesmaids in this parable are not Jews, but they're Christians, born-again Christians. And we're going to see this marriage motif also in other New Testament scriptures when we continue our study. in the next lesson. If this message has blessed you, tell your friends and please consider helping us stay on the air by sending your tax-deductible donation to Greg Hennett Ministries. Also, remember, you may download the Until He Comes podcast from your preferred podcast app.
May you walk closely with Christ and trust and obey Him in your daily tests of faith and patience until He Comes. This is the Truth Network. Mm-hmm.
