Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples after he had shared with them the signs to watch for concerning his second coming.
Matthew 25 vs. 1-13
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying Lord, Lord, open up to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Are you the kind of foolish virgin about whom Jesus speaks in the previous allegory? In other words, are you a person who wants to be a Christian, perhaps attends church meetings, but does not have any "oil in his lamp", in other words, no spiritual life in your heart? Are you, in other words, only a nominal Christian, do you have external Christian habits in your life, but have really not been born again and experienced a living faith?
ReplyDeleteIt really is possible that if God has not had the chance to awaken us, we are just these kinds of people. We can have all the external signs of Christianity, we may have turned away from certain sins, and we might think that we are on our way to Heaven, even though we are in fact going just the opposite direction. This is possible if we have not yet seen our true condition and the need for salvation in the light of God.
http://www.jariiivanainen.net/foolish_virgin.html