Parable of the 10 Virgins: Wise & Unwise

[skypair]

So the foolish virgins are martyrs? They are lumped into the same category as Jim Elliot and Nate Saint, and all the others who were murdered for their stand for God? During the trib they will be martyrs, so no, Jim Elliot and Nate Saint will be raptured with the "wise virgins" but the trib martyrs will be resurrected into the Millennial Kingdom of Christ at His 2nd coming.

skypair

[KaiafromBergen]

A good article from John MacArthur:

http://www.gty.org/Resources/StudyGuides/1250


INTRODUCTION

Let's begin by reading Matthew 25:1-13, the Scripture passage we'll be examining in this lesson: "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them; but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you; but go rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 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. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch, therefore; for ye know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man cometh."

This parable is intended to teach us about the suddenness and unexpectedness of the Lord's coming. It calls for us to be prepared for that unknown moment

A. The Subject of the Parable

Verse 1 begins with the word "then." Christ was referring to a specific time: His second coming, which He was talking about in the closing verses of Matthew 24. He was speaking of when He comes to reward the faithful servant and punish the unfaithful servant. The parable of the ten virgins tells us what will happen when the kingdom comes. It is a simple parable; it tells us that Christ will come at an unexpected moment to judge sinners and reward the righteous. Afterward there will be no second chance. People may knock on the door of the kingdom all they want, but the door will remain shut.
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More at the link . . .

[skypair]

A good article from John MacArthur: Sounds "uninspired" if ya know what I mean.

skypair

[KaiafromBergen]

Sounds "uninspired" if ya know what I mean.

skypair

No . . . what do you consider "inspired?"

[skypair]

No . . . what do you consider "inspired?" Kaia -- JM is a Calvinist. That prejudices his view toward the 2nd coming because their theology is normally incompatible with dispensationalism. Dispensationalism says the church is taken out pretrib via the rapture and God brings in "all Israel" during the trib.

Covenant theology says the church is Israel; therefore, we will be here for the tribulation; and so the parable of the virgins describes the 2nd coming of Christ, not the rapture.

Like I said, the parable of the virgins just does NOT fit with the 2nd coming judgments. Do you think it does? Where is the "casting out into outer darkness" for those whom Christ doesn't know? What would you suggest that the "oil," the "discriminator" in this parable, stands for? Did the foolish virgins really lose their salvation? Can anyone, according to scripture, lose their salvation?

BTW, the "door" is often misunderstood, too. The "door" is the one in Rev 4:1 that is opened to John before the tribulation events unfold and it is closed when the bride has been raptured pretrib.

Do you see what I mean by "uninspired?"

skypair

[KaiafromBergen]

Kaia -- JM is a Calvinist. That prejudices his view toward the 2nd coming because their theology is normally incompatible with dispensationalism. Dispensationalism says the church is taken out pretrib via the rapture and God brings in "all Israel" during the trib.

Covenant theology says the church is Israel; therefore, we will be here for the tribulation; and so the parable of the virgins describes the 2nd coming of Christ, not the rapture.

Like I said, the parable of the virgins just does NOT fit with the 2nd coming judgments. Do you think it does? Where is the "casting out into outer darkness" for those whom Christ doesn't know? What would you suggest that the "oil," the "discriminator" in this parable, stands for? Did the foolish virgins really lose their salvation? Can anyone, according to scripture, lose their salvation?

Do you see what I mean by "uninspired?"

skypair

I agree, this parable does not deal with the Rapture, but the Second Coming.

People during the Tribulation (and in the Old Testament - before the Cross and the Resurrection) can lose their salvation - the only "sealed" believers are those in the Church age, which, when the Rapture happens, will be either resurrected from the grave or taken and changed in the twinkling of an eye.

"All" Israel will not be brought in during the Tribulation, "all" tribes will be accounted for in the 144,000 who will be protected from the Lord's Wrath.

[skypair]

For me it applies to both time.Brfore rapture and on the second coming after the great tribuation. In context, this has some merit. Those who see the "fig tree" will see both the rapture and the 2nd coming (they're only 7 years apart) if they are left behind.

However, the focus of the parable is on the virgins, not their lamps. As you note, even a lamp that has no oil can give some light by virtue of having a "name that liveth but art dead," like Sardis, Rev 3:1 (Incidentally, some of Sardis, the Reform church, ARE one of the foolish virgins and some are of the "wise.").

As you also note, Sardis, like the other foolish virgins, are likely looking for the 2nd coming and not the rapture (they are not dispensationalists -- they omit "Israel" from God's future dealings unless Israel = church).

skypair

[skypair]

There's another interesting point in the parable...

...it says that (Mt 25:6) "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps."

Not only was there a warning of the rapture but there was time to get ready. Maybe not much time -- but even the foolish had time to realize they were not ready!

skypair

[jean]

The waiting is for both (the rapture waiters and the second coming waiters.).

God cannot be inconsistent.He give the same command to both.No two different set of command to both while waiting.

"Wake up you sluggard is His command to both."

[Buzzardhut]

http://www.buzzardhut.net/Watch/