RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-08-28	Parable of The 10 Virgins (Mt.25:1-13)
		Mat 25:1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Mat 25:2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Mat 25:3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, Mat 25:4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Mat 25:5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. Mat 25:6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. Mat 25:8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' Mat 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' Mat 25:10 And 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. Mat 25:11 "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' Mat 25:12 But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Mat 25:13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Do these passages have a salvation context to them? Yes. They imply exclusion from salvation. 10 virgins are assigned to welcome the bridegroom when he comes to the feast. 5 are wise and take this responsibility seriously and stay ready. 5 are foolishly careless and do not have what they need to be ready. At the last minute the 5 foolish have a last minute effort to get ready. But it fails. It is too late. The 5 that were ready went into the marriage feast. And the door was shut. Afterward the 5 foolish came also to the door. But the bridegroom answered differently to them. “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you” (v.12). He is saying I do not recognize you as my disciple. They were spiritual strangers to Him. The point was to be ready. (The issue is not that they slept because both the wise and foolish slept). So they were to stay awake to the Lord and His calling. Be spiritually alert. The 5 foolish virgins treated the Lord like He was unimportant. The meaning here is those who do not enter the feast, do not enter salvation. The parallel passage is Matthew 7. Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Mat 7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' Mat 7:23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' Judas would be the best example here. Three years he cast out demons, and did many mighty works, but never trusted in Jesus. Judas was excluded at the end, though he spent all that time with Jesus. Now in both of these passages, Jesus uses the word, “know”. Jesus Said, 'I do not know you' (Mt.25:12) Jesus said, 'I never knew you' (Mt.7:23) 2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." These are the two marks of the seal. (1) I know them; and (2) they depart from iniquity. So Jesus is saying to the 5 foolish virgins, 'I do not see in you the evidence of loving my name, and as departing from evil'. Jesus concludes, “Watch therefore” (v.13). Stay alert spiritually. Keep Me always before you. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Evangelical Free Church of America

23304 E Wellesley Ave. Otis Orchards, WA 99027 Church Office: 509.926.9552 Church Cell: 509.342.9145 Pastor Cell: 509.828.8843 tomelseroad@gmail.com