The Parable Of The Ten Virgins - A Picture Of The Second Coming

THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS - A PICTURE OF THE 2ND COMING

TEXT - Matt. 24:37 - 25:13

INTRO. - The Second Coming of Christ is the next event on the

calendar of God. One out of 25 verses in the whole Bible is

about the Second Coming. when Jesus was here on earth he

promised that at the end of time he would come again. See

John 14:1 -3

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 derision and ridicule and

yet it is one of the most important doctrines of the Bible.

LET US LOOK FOR A FEW MINUTES INTO THIS PARABLE AND SEE GOD’S

MESSAGE FOR US THIS HOUR ON THE SECOND COMING.

I. THE SIMILARITY - Vs. 1

Notice that all were virgins, all had lamps, and all went out

to meet the bride-groom. "Virgins" here means "bridesmaids".

They were the women who attended to the bride. They were to

keep the bride company until the bridegroom arrived.

One of the exciting elements of the wedding in Bible times

was the arrival of the bridegroom. the bridegroom kept the

time of his arrival secret. There was a gamelike atmosphere

at the wedding because the bridegroom tried to arrive at the

wedding unexpected while the wedding party of bride,

bridesmaids, and guests tried to be on the lookout for his

arrival and catch him coming into the feast. The bridegroom

tried to come at an unexpected moment or at some unlikely

hour such as in the middle of the night when the bridal party

might be napping.

Here are ten virgins -- they all looked alike.

Each had a lamp.

Each dressed in the garment of a bridesmaid.

Each 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.

This is a picture of the visible church today with its

members. People who claim to be Christians look pretty much

the same outwardly. They all claim to be going to heaven.

they all claim to be outwardly working for God.

I am sure that if a person were to look at Noah and the

people in the day of the flood there would have been alot of

difficulty determining who was right with God and who was

not. I am sure that the places of sacrifice were filled when

the religious services were being held. Remember that genuine

Christianity can be immitated.

II. THE SEPARATION - Vs. 2 - 4

They all looked alike but there was a difference. There is a

difference between the saved and the unsaved. The foolish

bridesmaids had no oil. Lamps are of no use without oil. Oil

in the Bible is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. See Ex.29:7,

Lev. 8:12, I Jn.2:27 and Jn. 14:16,17,26.

The five foolish bridesmaids were without the Spirit in their

lives. Romans 8:9 says that if any man have not the Spirit

then he is not saved.

Noah was different from the rest of the world in his day. He

found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He was saved.

There must be alot of unsaved people in the visible church

today when statistics say:

1 American out of 12 attends church regularly.

7 out of 10 children quit church before the age of 15.

5% of reported church members cannot be found because the

don’t exist.

105 cannot be found.

20% never pray.

25% never read their Bibles.

30% never attend church.

405 never give to any cause.

50% never go to Sunday School.

60% never go to Sunday night services.

70% never gives to Missions.

80% never go to Prayer Meeting.

95% never win anyone to Jesus.

Truly there is a difference within the church between the

true and the false believer.

III. THE SLEEP - Vs. 5

They all gave up the hope of his coming and went to sleep.

The thing to notice is that ALL went to sleep. The wise and

the foolish bridesmaids alike went to sleep. The church in

the last days is pictured here. The church as a whole has

gone to sleep and has forgotten the promise of the Lord’s

return. "The Lord delayeth his coming" (Matt.24:48) is the

attitude of the age.

The second Coming of Christ was the hope of the church during

the first 400 years of the church age but it has been

forgotten. Titus 2:13 says that the Coming of Christ is the

"blessed hope" of the church. We need to return to that

blessed hope.

IV. THE SHOUT - Vs. 6

Notice the time of the shout. It was at midnight.