Notes and thoughts from Bible Study with Pastor Terry Gray
Matthew 25
Parable of the 10 Virgins
To understand this parable, we need to first familiarize ourselves with the Jewish Wedding.
The Jewish Wedding has 3 phases:
Phase 1: Formal Engagement
Parents of the groom and bride meet and discuss the marriage arrangement. If everyone is in agreement, a contract would be signed. A dowry from the groom's family would be given to the bride. From this moment on, the couple would be formally engaged.
Phase 2: Betrothal Period
The couple at this stage is viewed as legally married, though they are not living together. Hence, the marriage has not been consummated. The only way to break this bond is through a legal divorce. During this period, the groom would be out preparing a place for his bride, getting everything ready (financially, etc) for him and his bride. The bride would be learning how to be a wife and mother back in her home. Since the groom will come for the bride only when all the preparations are completed, the specific length of time during this period is often unknown.
Phase 3: Wedding Banquet
The groom announces everything is ready. He sends notice to his bride that he's ready to receive her in the home he's built for them. There is no set time when the groom would show up at the bride's place, but everyone would be on the lookout, because they know he's coming and could arrive at any time. The groom would be accompanied by his groomsmen and musicians, and when they arrive at the bride's place, they would have a private wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, the bride and groom would leave the bride's place and parade back to his house. One of the people they'd pick up on the way would be the bridesmaids. The 10 virgins in this parable are these bridesmaids. Once the parade returns to the groom's house, a huge wedding feast would begin and last for a week of celebration. The bride and groom then begin their lives as one after that week of celebration.
In the Parable of the 10 Virgins, we see that it takes place in the 3rd phase of the wedding process. The groom is coming, and the bridesmaids are getting ready. Five of them are foolish and five are wise. The foolish five don't have enough oil for their lamps, but the wise five do. At midnight, the groom arrives, and the lamps of the foolish five go out. By the time the foolish five buy enough oil for their lamps, they've missed the parade. When they show up at the groom's house, the door has been shut. They knock on the door, and the groom said, I do not know you (a phrase of judgment). And so, only the five wise virgins who were prepared made it to the party. The five foolish virgins were not prepared and missed the whole thing.
What does it all mean?
Let's look at the symbolisms:
Groom = Christ, who has been preparing a place for us in Heaven and will come for us once the place is prepared (John 14:2-3)
Virgins = the Church, the bride of Christ
Oil = Holy Spirit, both anoints
Lamp = Good works
From this parable, we can come to the following realizations:
1. For 2000 years (since the birth of the Church in Acts 2), Jesus has been betrothed to the church! Jesus is now preparing a place for the Church in Heaven and will one day return for us!
2. Not all those who "claim" to be a Christian will be saved.
Take a moment and think about that.
This is a statement that rubs many Christians the wrong way. The first thing they say is, and who are you to judge?
So, let's just take a moment here and breathe.
First, I don't judge. God is the ONLY righteous Judge, and ONLY He judges.
Second, the only people who know whether I am a true Christian are God and me. That's it. Just like the only people who know whether you're a true Christian are God and you. And yep, that's it.
Hence, lastly, this parable isn't about judging others. This parable is about reflection. Am I a true Christian? Am I going to be saved?
To clarify, when I say "true" Christians, I'm referring to Christians like the wise five. Let's look at what they did to make it to the wedding:
1. They proclaimed their loyalty to the groom
2. They remained vigilant in their lookout for the coming of the groom: They kept the oil full, and they trimmed the wick of their lamps to ensure they would stay lit.
Let's look at what the foolish five did to miss the wedding:
1. They, too, proclaimed their loyalty to the groom
2. They weren't too good about staying on the lookout though. They kind of did it, but when they got tired, they got lazy. They didn't bother to make sure they have enough oil, and they weren't very diligent about trimming the wick of their lamps either.
What is all this saying?
Simply put, it is easy for anyone to proclaim their loyalty to Jesus. How hard is it to say, "I am a Christian." Not very. Even hardcore atheists can say it.
Obviously, "just saying" it is not enough. This parable is only further proof of that.
Jesus wants our heart. Action without heart is still no heart.
In the Book of Romans, Paul referred to a group of Jews, who back in those days, placed a lot of emphasis on circumcision. Anyone who was not circumcised were deemed unworthy of God. (Basically, circumcision was a sign of the covenant between God and the Israelites -- See Leviticus 12:3). And what did Paul say to them?
"A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God" (Romans 2:28-29).
Jesus spent a large chunk of time telling the Pharisees the same things as well. It is not about following the rules perfectly or doing certain rituals on certain days. It is about having our heart belong to Jesus.
And as illustrated by the 10 virgins here, it is not enough to just proclaim our decision to follow Christ. Once we proclaim it, we then must work diligently to set our heart on Christ. We need to constantly be refreshed by the Holy Spirit and trim away our sinful acts so that the light of Jesus can shine brightly through us.
"Faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:26).
Our deeds are proof of our salvation. When the light of Jesus shines brightly through us, we bear the fruit of His testimony. When we are not diligent in keeping our heart with Christ, the light dims and goes out in us. We then lose our way and no longer live a Christian life.
When I posted my notes on a similar subject before (see link below), there was a bit of a discussion about whether a person can "lose" his/her salvation.
Here's my notes on a sermon by Pastor Mark on the same subject:
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/02/jesus-kingdom-is-party.html
I hope this does not turn into a semantics debate, so let's not get boggled down with what "lose" really means but focus on what Jesus is saying.
When the foolish five knocked on the door, the groom said, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you." And after telling this parable, Jesus warned the disciples, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."
This parable is meant as a lesson. We are all pictured as the 10 virgins here, and Jesus is warning us, do not be like the foolish five but be like the wise five who diligently kept watch. For if we become lazy like the foolish five and go knocking on Jesus' door, He will look at us and say, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you."
This statement cannot be more clear. It is a judgment sentence. It is Jesus telling us we will not be let through the gates of Heaven if He does not know us.
Now, back to the ability to "lose" salvation.
I say there is a semantics debate going on here because people would argue that we cannot lose salvation, because we cannot lose what does not belong to us in the first place.
There is definitely some truth to that.
Salvation is not ours to give or to earn. Salvation is a gift from God through the death of Jesus Christ. Because of sin, we were separated from God. And because we are sinners, nothing we do can ever reach perfection. In order to declare us righteous again, we need the blood of a perfect human to wash us of our sins. This is why God had to sacrifice His perfect Son on the cross. God sacrificed Jesus for us to do what we can never accomplish.
Furthermore, this gift of Salvation is given to ALL. Jesus did not die just for the Israelites. He did not not just for the rich. He did not die just for the powerful. He died for EVERYONE.
This is why people would say we cannot lose our salvation, because it is not ours to give. It is given by God, and it is ALWAYS available through Jesus.
But here's the thing, just because Salvation is out there freely for us to take it, WE STILL MUST BE THE ONES TO TAKE IT. IT DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE AUTOMATICALLY SAVED!
And I believe this is the point that both Pastor Gray and Pastor Driscoll are getting at. I can say I am a Christian, I can say I have received Jesus and Salvation all I want, but if my heart does not truly belong to Jesus, then my actions would reflect that, and I would be like one of the foolish five. I would be lazy about my duties, and I would not be truly looking out for the return of Jesus. (If I don't have love for my husband, why would I care when he comes home? Why would I care to prepare dinner to welcome him home with? Similarly, if I have no love for Jesus, why would I care for His return? When I "trim the wick," so to speak, it would be more of me going through the motions than me truly caring about Jesus!) I will then have the door shut in my face, with Jesus telling me that He does not know me.
The focus here really shouldn't be about whether we can lose salvation. Because, clearly, even if we cannot lose our salvation, Jesus has stated very clearly that He can still shut the door in our face. So, I would argue that the focus here should be about whether Jesus KNOWS us.
What does that mean anyway?
God knows the name of EVERY star in Heaven (Isaiah 40:26). Do we naively think He doesn't know every one of our names? Of course, He does. Then what does it mean when Jesus said, "I do not know you"? It certainly doesn't mean He doesn't know our names or who we are. Oh, trust me, He knows every one of us, and He knows our true nature better than ourselves. Therefore, when Jesus says He does not know us, He means He KNOWS our heart does not belong to Him.
When that judgment is pronounced, be clear about what it means: Salvation is STILL out there freely for anyone to grab it, but we just never grabbed it. Fine, we can't "lose" salvation. Then, we just never CHOSE TO RECEIVE it.
I hope I'm being clear. Salvation is freely available. It may not be ours to lose, but we must still make the choice to grab it. We must still ACT to RECEIVE it.
Also, be clear that we do not have an eternity to make this choice. What does it mean to be standing at the gates of Heaven? It means we've DIED a physical death. It means, when we physically die and go knocking on Jesus' door, our time to make that choice ENDS. It means, at that point, Salvation is still freely available to those STILL LIVING, but it is no longer an option for those knocking on Jesus' door.
Hence, for people who get caught up with semantic debates about the ability to "lose" salvation, I eagerly urge you to get over these intellectual exercises. Focus on what matters the most: Get our heart in line with Jesus. Make sure Jesus KNOWS us.
The parable of the 10 virgins also alludes to the Rapture.
The Wedding Party, aka, the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, is thought to take place during the same period as the Tribulation. Simply put, the Tribulation is God's judgment on Earth. Since God does not judge the righteous, He will remove His people prior to the Tribulation (Rapture). And during the 7 years of Tribulation on Earth, God's people will be feasting in Heaven, joining Jesus for the biggest Wedding Party ever.
Let me back up here and walk us through this.
When I posted my notes on a similar subject before (see link below), there was a bit of a discussion about whether a person can "lose" his/her salvation.
Here's my notes on a sermon by Pastor Mark on the same subject:
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/02/jesus-kingdom-is-party.html
I hope this does not turn into a semantics debate, so let's not get boggled down with what "lose" really means but focus on what Jesus is saying.
When the foolish five knocked on the door, the groom said, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you." And after telling this parable, Jesus warned the disciples, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."
This parable is meant as a lesson. We are all pictured as the 10 virgins here, and Jesus is warning us, do not be like the foolish five but be like the wise five who diligently kept watch. For if we become lazy like the foolish five and go knocking on Jesus' door, He will look at us and say, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you."
This statement cannot be more clear. It is a judgment sentence. It is Jesus telling us we will not be let through the gates of Heaven if He does not know us.
Now, back to the ability to "lose" salvation.
I say there is a semantics debate going on here because people would argue that we cannot lose salvation, because we cannot lose what does not belong to us in the first place.
There is definitely some truth to that.
Salvation is not ours to give or to earn. Salvation is a gift from God through the death of Jesus Christ. Because of sin, we were separated from God. And because we are sinners, nothing we do can ever reach perfection. In order to declare us righteous again, we need the blood of a perfect human to wash us of our sins. This is why God had to sacrifice His perfect Son on the cross. God sacrificed Jesus for us to do what we can never accomplish.
Furthermore, this gift of Salvation is given to ALL. Jesus did not die just for the Israelites. He did not not just for the rich. He did not die just for the powerful. He died for EVERYONE.
This is why people would say we cannot lose our salvation, because it is not ours to give. It is given by God, and it is ALWAYS available through Jesus.
But here's the thing, just because Salvation is out there freely for us to take it, WE STILL MUST BE THE ONES TO TAKE IT. IT DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE AUTOMATICALLY SAVED!
And I believe this is the point that both Pastor Gray and Pastor Driscoll are getting at. I can say I am a Christian, I can say I have received Jesus and Salvation all I want, but if my heart does not truly belong to Jesus, then my actions would reflect that, and I would be like one of the foolish five. I would be lazy about my duties, and I would not be truly looking out for the return of Jesus. (If I don't have love for my husband, why would I care when he comes home? Why would I care to prepare dinner to welcome him home with? Similarly, if I have no love for Jesus, why would I care for His return? When I "trim the wick," so to speak, it would be more of me going through the motions than me truly caring about Jesus!) I will then have the door shut in my face, with Jesus telling me that He does not know me.
The focus here really shouldn't be about whether we can lose salvation. Because, clearly, even if we cannot lose our salvation, Jesus has stated very clearly that He can still shut the door in our face. So, I would argue that the focus here should be about whether Jesus KNOWS us.
What does that mean anyway?
God knows the name of EVERY star in Heaven (Isaiah 40:26). Do we naively think He doesn't know every one of our names? Of course, He does. Then what does it mean when Jesus said, "I do not know you"? It certainly doesn't mean He doesn't know our names or who we are. Oh, trust me, He knows every one of us, and He knows our true nature better than ourselves. Therefore, when Jesus says He does not know us, He means He KNOWS our heart does not belong to Him.
When that judgment is pronounced, be clear about what it means: Salvation is STILL out there freely for anyone to grab it, but we just never grabbed it. Fine, we can't "lose" salvation. Then, we just never CHOSE TO RECEIVE it.
I hope I'm being clear. Salvation is freely available. It may not be ours to lose, but we must still make the choice to grab it. We must still ACT to RECEIVE it.
Also, be clear that we do not have an eternity to make this choice. What does it mean to be standing at the gates of Heaven? It means we've DIED a physical death. It means, when we physically die and go knocking on Jesus' door, our time to make that choice ENDS. It means, at that point, Salvation is still freely available to those STILL LIVING, but it is no longer an option for those knocking on Jesus' door.
Hence, for people who get caught up with semantic debates about the ability to "lose" salvation, I eagerly urge you to get over these intellectual exercises. Focus on what matters the most: Get our heart in line with Jesus. Make sure Jesus KNOWS us.
The parable of the 10 virgins also alludes to the Rapture.
The Wedding Party, aka, the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, is thought to take place during the same period as the Tribulation. Simply put, the Tribulation is God's judgment on Earth. Since God does not judge the righteous, He will remove His people prior to the Tribulation (Rapture). And during the 7 years of Tribulation on Earth, God's people will be feasting in Heaven, joining Jesus for the biggest Wedding Party ever.
Let me back up here and walk us through this.
Those who have followed my posts for a while now probably have figured out that I support the pre-Tribulation Rapture theory.
Those of you who are unfamiliar with this topic, allow me to briefly clarify.
1. There is an intense debate in the theology field about whether or not there is a rapture. The Rapture is an event when Jesus comes back for His Church and removes them from Earth so that they would escape God's judgment on Earth during a 7-year period known as the Tribulation. I would therefore argue that if you don't believe in the Rapture, you wouldn't even think to be on the lookout for Christ. And if you aren't on the lookout for Christ, you wouldn't even know there's a wedding party.
2. For those who do believe in the Rapture, there is also an intense debate about when it would occur. It could occur either before, during, or after the Tribulation. If you read and understand the Bible, all evidence point to the Rapture occurring before the Tribulation. I'll just raise one obvious evidence: The Tribulation is called a time of Jacob's Trouble. The Tribulation is God's judgment on the Israelites, not the Church. God has never pronounced judgment on the righteous and has shown He removes the righteous from His wrath (Remember Abraham's plee for Sodom and Gomorrah? Remember how God saved Rahab the prostitute?). Since the Church is declared righteous through Jesus Christ, it points to the removal of the Church (Rapture) BEFORE the Tribulation.
I've previously posted on the subject of the Rapture:
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/10/mystery-of-rapture.html
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/07/misunderstandings-about-rapture.html
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2009/09/090930-rapture-i.html
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2009/10/091015-rapture-ii.html
If you don't know which view to take, STUDY THE BIBLE. Don't just take other people's words for it. Whether you believe one view versus another won't affect your salvation. The key is, if you're not on the lookout for the return of Christ, it would determine whether you make it to the wedding party.
Which bring us back to the topic at hand: the Great Wedding Banquet, aka, the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.
At the end of this parable, Jesus said, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour" (Matthew 25:13).
Clearly, Jesus is telling us that if we are not on the lookout, and if we are not diligently keeping our heart in line with Jesus, we will miss His coming.
In Matthew 24, Jesus told us the signs of the end of days. When we see those signs, we would know that the return of Jesus is rapidly approaching. We do not know the exact day or hour, but we do know the season and should therefore be on the lookout.
Right before God's judgement on Earth, Jesus will therefore come back for His Church. For the next 7 years, while the Earth receives God's judgment during the Tribulation, Jesus and His Church will be at the Great Wedding Banquet in Heaven. Just like the Jewish wedding, where the party lasts for a week of 7 days, so too will the Great Wedding Banquet last for a week fo 7 years (exactly the same number of years as the Tribulation).
After the 7 years of celebration or decimation (depending on where you are), Jesus and His Church return to Earth and set up His kingdom on Jerusalem and reigns for 1000 years. The wedding supper of the lamb is like the inauguration of King Jesus that kicks off His millennial reign.
Note that if we miss the Rapture, it doesn't mean we've lost our chance to receive Salvation. Again, we only lose that chance when we're physically dead. As long as we're still alive, then we still have that chance as we go into the Tribulation. But, note that the Antichrist will come on the scene during that period, and he will not make it easy for Christians. Most, if not all, Christians who stand firm during that period will die as martyrs, for Revelation 14:14-20 tells us that the blood of the martyrs will rise as high as the horses' bridles for miles and miles and miles.
My take on this? It's not about escaping wrath or calculating when's the best time to receive Salvation. For me, it's all about belonging to Jesus. As long as my heart is in the right place, Jesus will protect me from Satan's deceptions and God's Wrath.
There are those who think that, "Oh, when the Rapture occurs, I'll then make that choice to belong to Jesus," as if things will be that simple and easy! I won't dwell on the fallacy of such a mindset here, but I'll point you to my past post that deals with some of those ideas:
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/07/misunderstandings-about-rapture.html
Jesus taught us to be diligent and vigilant. It isn't just because we know not the day nor the hour of His return. It is also because during this time Satan will work his deceptions in the world, which may very well pull us away if we are not careful in keeping our oil full and trimming our lamps' wicks.
Jesus also taught us that it isn't enough to just say, "I want to follow you, Jesus!" Our heart needs to truly belong to Jesus. (Circumcision of the HEART!) If we don't know whether we are ready for His party, the answer is probably we're not.
So let us be refreshed with the Holy Spirit, re-establish our one-on-one relationship with God, trim away our sinful ways, and let the light of Jesus shine through us. The brighter we shine, the surer we can be that we're ready for His party!
Note that if we miss the Rapture, it doesn't mean we've lost our chance to receive Salvation. Again, we only lose that chance when we're physically dead. As long as we're still alive, then we still have that chance as we go into the Tribulation. But, note that the Antichrist will come on the scene during that period, and he will not make it easy for Christians. Most, if not all, Christians who stand firm during that period will die as martyrs, for Revelation 14:14-20 tells us that the blood of the martyrs will rise as high as the horses' bridles for miles and miles and miles.
My take on this? It's not about escaping wrath or calculating when's the best time to receive Salvation. For me, it's all about belonging to Jesus. As long as my heart is in the right place, Jesus will protect me from Satan's deceptions and God's Wrath.
There are those who think that, "Oh, when the Rapture occurs, I'll then make that choice to belong to Jesus," as if things will be that simple and easy! I won't dwell on the fallacy of such a mindset here, but I'll point you to my past post that deals with some of those ideas:
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/07/misunderstandings-about-rapture.html
Jesus taught us to be diligent and vigilant. It isn't just because we know not the day nor the hour of His return. It is also because during this time Satan will work his deceptions in the world, which may very well pull us away if we are not careful in keeping our oil full and trimming our lamps' wicks.
Jesus also taught us that it isn't enough to just say, "I want to follow you, Jesus!" Our heart needs to truly belong to Jesus. (Circumcision of the HEART!) If we don't know whether we are ready for His party, the answer is probably we're not.
So let us be refreshed with the Holy Spirit, re-establish our one-on-one relationship with God, trim away our sinful ways, and let the light of Jesus shine through us. The brighter we shine, the surer we can be that we're ready for His party!
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