Predictions, projection, and best guesses-every one likes to state what they think the future will hold. Meteorologists forecast the daily weather, sports journalists predict the outcome of a championship series, pollsters project the probable winner of an election, news commentators declare the direction of the nation, and futurists explain what the world will be like in a few decades.
In addition, our daily conversations are sprinkled with future talk: “Who do you think will win?” “What are your retirement plans?” “What will your son do after graduation?” Often these amateur prophecies are not fulfilled exactly as stated: Partly sunny turns into a rainy day, the underdog becomes an upset winner, a technological breakthrough changes the way we live, and an unexpected event changes our plans.
With Biblical prophets, the story reads quite differently. Inspired by God, each of their predictions would come true, in exact detail.
The gospel of Matthew provides amazing examples of the power and accuracy of God’s prophets who had foretold the coming of the Messiah. From His humble birth by a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) to His crucifixion (Psalm 22:14, 16-17) with criminals (Isaiah 53:12) to His resurrection from the dead (Psalm 16:10) Jesus did what the prophets had predicted—He fulfilled every prophecy and fit every description of the Jewish Savior.
Have you ever experience being denied or not permitted to board in a flight in one of your trip? What did you felt about it? You had prepared for this trip for a long time and were so excited about it especially if it was your first time to travel. But at the exact date of your trip right there in front of the departure gate the man who is in charge told you that you can not join the flight because either your requirements are incomplete or the worse thing is you are not included in the list because you are not qualified. The message for today will talk about the most awaited trip that every Christians are waiting for our final trip.
Point # I: The main characters: Vv. 1
I.1: The Ten Virgins
I.2: The Bridegroom
1Then the kingdom of heaven shall be liken to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
The second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is the next important event on the calendar of God. When Jesus was here on earth He promised that at the end of time He would come again.
There are 318 different places in the New Testament dealing with the Second Coming of the Lord. The doctrine of the Second Coming is the object of ridicule to the unbelievers and even to some whom called themselves believers or Christians; and yet it is one of the most important doctrines of the Bible.
I.1: The Ten virgins:
1Then the kingdom of heaven shall be liken to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Two kinds of virgin
a. Five were wise. vv. 2, 4
2Now five of them were wise….4but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
b. Five were foolish. vv. 2, 3
2…and five were foolish 3Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them
I.2: The bridegroom: V. 1a
1Then the kingdom of heaven shall be liken to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Point # II: The Two Scenarios. V.5
II.1: The bridegroom was delayed
5But the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
The bridegroom was late, He did not come at the time as they expected. Many in the apostles’ times imagined that the day of the Lord was at hand, but it is not so. For us it seems that Christ return is delay, and yet it really does not.
There are good reason for the Bridegroom’s coming to be delay; there are many purposes to be accomplished; 1. The elect must all be called in, 2. God’s patience must be manifested, and 3. The saints’ patience was tried. But though Christ return is delayed in our time, He will not be delayed on His due time to come. He said He will come back and for sure He will. He promises it three times in the book of Revelation, notice that every time He said He will come every body should do something.
a. Rev. 16:15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walks naked and they see his shame.
b. “Rev. 22:7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
c. Rev. 22:12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.”
II.2: The ten virgins all slumbered and slept
5But the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
Being slumbered is not new to Jesus; remember what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane while He was praying?
Matt. 26:36, 40
36"Then Jesus came with them to a place Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."…40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour."
While He is delayed, those that waited for him, grew careless, and forgot what they were attending; they all slumbered and slept; as if they had given over looking for Him; “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth” (Luke. 18: 8).
There could be a danger of spiritual slumber within the believers today, it happened before while they were with Jesus. Considering that the basis of our endurance to wait is our faith, once our faith decrease and failed we can not wait any longer.
The wise virgins slumbered, and the foolish slept; we can think of that way; however, they were both become faulty. The wise virgins kept their lamps burning, but did not keep themselves awake. There are so many Christians today that when they have been Christians for a long time, sometimes their faith grows weary and get bored in their preparations for Christ’s second coming. When Jesus returns to take us to heaven, we must be ready. Spiritual preparation cannot be bought or borrowed at the last minute. Our relationship with God must be in our own. It was hard for the disciples to watched with Christ even in an hour; How much more to watch with Him in decades?
Point # III. Urgent needs of believers. Vv.6-13
III.1: Be prepared; no one will do it for us: Vv. 6-9
6And at midnight a cry was heard: Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him! 7Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps 8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not enough for us and for you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
Give us of your oil! This request was requested with sensible necessity. Those who see their needs of grace and faith on the last minutes to save them, can not expect any help from others, it is too late. God would have given them oil, had they asked in time; remember that there would be no buying when the market was closed, when Jesus return to take us to heaven no body can help us once He caught us unprepared for the trip.
III.2: Be prepared; being a member of a church is not a guarantee. Vv.10-12
10And 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. 11Afterward the other virgin came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
As Christians, we profess, not only to believe and look for, but to love and long for the appearing of Christ. The second coming of Christ is the center in which all the lines of our faith meet.
The purpose of these virgins is to meet the bridegroom, which is as much their happiness as their duty. They come to wait upon the bridegroom when He appears, and to wait for Him until He comes.
It will be the most disappointing moment in our lives when the time of the second coming of Jesus Christ comes when He tells us that He does not know us. Just like the five foolish virgins, the moment that they waited for so long came but still their preparations fall short to the eyes of the Lord.
III.3: Be prepared; for the unexpected. V. 13
13’’Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming
Though Christ coming delayed longer, He will come at last; though He seems slow, He is sure that He will comeback. In His first coming, He was mentioned and expected by those that waited for the consolation of Israel; and in the fullness of time He came; His second coming, though long deferred, should not be forgotten. His first coming was not with any observation at all, remember that “He was in the world, and the world did not know Him” (John 1:10-11); but His second coming will be observed by the entire world; every eye shall see Him. There will be a cry from heaven, for He shall descend with a shout of the Angels.
Comparisons of the Ten Virgins
Every one had a lamp.
Every one dressed in the garment of a bridesmaid.
Every one claimed to have been invited.
They all acted like the others.
They all had the same purpose.
None suspected that there was anything wrong with any of the others
Only the wise virgins entered and joined the wedding party
Wise with extra oil, Foolish no extra oil
The ten virgins symbolize two different kinds of believer, who pretended to be both worthy to meet the bride but their true identity was revealed on the actual hour of the wedding. Today’s believers can also pretend to be true followers of Jesus, they do everything to look like one and that they are ready on the second coming of Jesus; they spend time in the ministry, doing church works, doing charity works.
Our true identity will also be revealed during His second coming to be with us in our final trip, “our trip to heaven”.
Conclusion:
Malachi 3:1-2
1"Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the LORD of hosts. 2"But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like launderer's soap. (NKJV)
His first coming was without external impact or show of power, and yet in truth there were few who could not stand its testing might. Herod and all Jerusalem were stirred at the news of His wondrous birth. Those who supposed themselves to be waiting for Him, showed the fallacy of their professions by rejecting Him when He came.
His life on earth was a winnowing fan, which tried the great heap of religious profession, and few enough could abide the process. But what will His second coming be? What sinner can endure to think of it? "He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked." In His humiliation He did but say to the soldiers, "I am He," they fell backward; what will be the terror of His enemies when He shall more fully reveal Himself as the “I am?"
His death shook the earth and darkened the heaven, what shall be the dreadful splendor of that day in which as the living Savior, He shall summon the quick and dead before Him? Let us search ourselves tonight and make our calling and election sure, so that the coming of the Lord may cause no dark thoughts in our mind.
Let us cast away all hypocrisy, and to be found of Him sincere and without rebuke in the day of His appearing. It is only 2 days from today before Christmas; the whole world is busy preparing for the celebration of His birth, His first coming. People spend time, money and resources even though most of them don’t know the real meaning and purposed of His birth. For us Christians real meaning and purposed of His birth is sum up in the message of John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
The preparation that people can do is to receive Him as their Lord and savior so that they can benefit during His second coming. He will come again not as a baby but as a Powerful and Mighty King. May He find us ready when He comes again on His second coming?
The moral and practical lesson of the whole parable is there will be no second chance for all the unprepared. “Who want to go to Heaven?” “BE PREPARED”!!!
Teody Galit
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