Jesus spoke of the things that would happen to him, how he would be killed and be raised again from the dead in three days. Luke 9:22
Jesus spoke of ascending back to heaven after he was raised from the dead. John 20:17, so according to the scriptures Jesus would have ascended to heaven and then returned. After he returned the disciples were able to touch him John 20:24-27.
In Acts 1:9 Jesus finally ascended to heaven after he gave instructions to the disciples to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. Acts 2:17, Ephesians 1:13.
In Matthew 25:1-4 Jesus spoke a parable of ten virgins of which five were wise and five were foolish.
The parable told from the perspective of a Middle Eastern Wedding in those times:
First of all, we need to look at the context of this parable. This parable is part of a talk about the events of Jesus’ Second Coming that extends over two chapters, Matthew 24 and Matthew 25. There were no chapter divisions when Matthew wrote his Gospel, so we should view this parable as connected to Matthew 24. It carries on with the theme of heart readiness at His Second Coming.
Marriage customs of the day were very different from what we are accustomed to in Western culture.
This parable is about a typical wedding celebration in the Middle East. With his close friends, the bridegroom would come to the bride’s house or the place of the festivities for the wedding.
The couple would be clothed as king and queen and celebrate for a week (Genesis 29:27). The bride’s close friends were ten virgins or bridesmaids whose job was to light up the way and welcome the bridegroom and his close friends to the bride’s house or the place of the banquet.
They would then enter the wedding and celebrate with the bridegroom. When the bridesmaids or virgins heard the sound of the herald calling out, “Here’s the bridegroom!
Come out to meet him!” (v. 6), they would know to go out and light up the way for the bridegroom’s coming.
The reader is to assume that the bridegroom is not from the same town as the bride, and therefore, the time he will arrive is uncertain. Whatever the time, though, the bridesmaids/virgins were to be ready. No mention is made of the bride in the parable; we are not to read too much into the detail.
What this world sees as Christians, God sees some wise and some foolish people waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus, the Bridegroom. The parable focuses on being wise and making sure we are carrying the light of Christ while we wait for the coming of Jesus.
The bridesmaids/virgins were to trim their lamps as soon as they heard the call that the Bridegroom was near; they would then go and show the pathway to the wedding place.
To trim one’s lamp was to cut off the burnt part of the wick so it would burn evenly again. Then, they would pull out more of the wick from the inside of the lamp, causing the light to shine more brightly.
Of course, this usually meant that one needed to pour more oil from the receptacles they carried (v. 4). They then stationed themselves several yards apart, showing the way and welcoming the bridegroom and his friends before going into the wedding with them.
Alfred Edersheim, in his book The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, helps us get the picture:
“The ‘lamps,’—not ‘torches’—which the Ten Virgins carried were of well-known construction…they consisted of a round receptacle for pitch or oil for the wick.
This was placed in a hollow cup of a deep saucer, which was fastened by a pointed end into a long wooden pole, on which it was born aloft. According to Jewish authorities, it was the custom in the East to carry in a bridal procession about ten such lamps, ten being the number required to be present at any office or ceremony, such as the benedictions accompanying the marriage-ceremony. Ref:
The point of the parable is to warn us to be always prepared for no one knows the day nor the hour when Christ will return. Matthew 25:13. Titus 2 warns us to live soberly, righteously and godly in this world. Titus 2:11-14.
This is a good opportunity to receive Jesus Christ into your life as Lord and saviour, or you may want to rededicate your life to him. You can pray this prayer of repentance: Dear Jesus I believe you died for my sins I believe in my heart that you are the son of God, that you died and rose again from the dead on the third day, I repent (turn from my sins), forgive me and wash me from my sins with your blood, fill me with the Holy Spirit to help me to live my life for you from this day on.
If you have any questions please feel free to email us and we will get back to you ASAP. We normally try to respond within 48 hours.
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Jesus loves you
Carlton and Heather