Ten Virgins Series

d. Jesus’ promise is “I will come again to receive you to Myself.”

(1) One presentation pictured the bridegroom waiting until midnight just to make the wedding feast a surprise and very special

(a) Is the Lord waiting to make the wedding feast a surprise and very special?

(2) Lets turn again the Matthew 25:1 and read to verse 4

B. Waiting for the bridegroom

Matthew 25:1-4 (NKJV)

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. {2} "Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. {3} "Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, {4} "but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

1. The virgins represent Jewish religious people at the end of the tribulation period

a. The church is gone

b. But, even if the church is gone, God will not allow the world to go without a witness

(1) Books will remain, the Bible and Bible commentaries

(2) Films will remain, the left behind series and many others

(3) 144 thousand Jewish evangelists

(4) Wailing angels

c. There will be many converts during the tribulation

(1) Some will die a horrible death

(2) Some will survive

d. The five wise virgins will be indwelt by the Holy Spirit

(1) They will be true Christians, waiting for the return of Christ

(2) Their lamps trimmed, the vessels filled with oil

e. The five foolish virgins, can only compare with the Pharisees

(1) The strictest sect of the Jewish religion

(2) They look good, but inwardly filled with dead men’s bones

(3) In other words, they look good, but have not truly received the Holy Spirit

(a) Lets turn to Matthew 25:5

C. The virgins slept

Matthew 25:5 (NKJV)

"But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

1. Although many would make something of this verse, that they slept

2. I believe that Jesus simply meant that things proceeded as usual

a. Lets face it, people get tired

b. People need sleep

c. Waiting is one of the tiredest things we do

d. I don’t think that there is anything meant to be wrong

e. It is simply saying that the Bridegroom, the Christ seems to be taking a long time, longer then we anticipated

(1) Turn to 2 Peter 3:1-4

3. Peter clarifies this for us in 2 Peter

2 Peter 3:1-4 (NKJV)

Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), {2} that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, {3} knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, {4} and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."

a. The Lord Jesus, Himself, has told us that the time of His second coming is in the hands of the Father and only the Father

(1) Peter also reminds us in verses 8-9 of that very same chapter that our timing is not God’s timing

2 Peter 3:8-9 (NKJV)