The Wise And The Foolish:

The Wise & the Foolish:

Today I want to talk for a little while to do with this parable in Matt. 25: its important for us to understand who Jesus is talking about. The Parable of the Ten Virgins explains the place of Israel’s true converts of the Tribulation Period.

Chapters 24-25 are what is known as the Olivet Discourse, Jesus began by moving in a

Chronological sequence through the end time program for the nation of Israel.

Let me remind us In Matthew 24:4-26 He covered the seven years of the Tribulation, also called the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7).

Then He next described return to earth to the earth (w 27-50), followed by the regathering of the nation of Israel back to their land.

Next there is in parentheses the chronology of events in which Jesus gave exhortations through parables to watchfulness, preparedness, and faithfulness (vv. 52-51).

In (25:1-13. Jesus described the next end time event in the program for Israel following His return to earth, also referred to as the Second Advent, namely, judgment on living Israel in order to separate the saved from the unsaved.

The word, “then” (v. 1) is to be connected to 24:50-51, which says 50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Listen as I read our text found in Matt. 25: verses 1-13

Matthew 25:1-13 Jesus said to the people;

1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6And at midnight there was a cry made, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.”

7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said unto the wise, “Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.” 9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10And 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. 11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us.” 12But he answered and said, “Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” 13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Jesus spoke of a judgment that would exclude unprepared Israelites from His Messianic kingdom. On what ground would the nation be judged?

Realize that the church is not in view anywhere in the discourse of

Matthew 24-25. Rather, Christ was developing the end events of the nation of Israel.

He was using the familiar figure of the Oriental wedding customs. A second invitation had been sent to those previously invited, notifying them that the wedding banquet had been prepared and they were expected to attend.

The bridegroom had left his father’s home to go to the bride’s home in order to claim the damsel who had been betrothed to him. According to custom, the bride’s father would prepare a banquet for his daughter and invite her friends so that she might celebrate the forthcoming wedding with them. How long the banqueting in the bride’s home might last was unknown.

Therefore, as the invited guests assembled for the wedding banquet in the bridegroom’s home, they expected to wait for an indeterminate period before the bridegroom came to the banquet with his bride.

The ten virgins had assembled at the place where the wedding banquet would be spread, and they were also awaiting the appearance of the bridegroom with his bride.

The ten virgins were divided into two classes, the foolish and the wise. The foolish ones had made no provision for an extension of the bridegroom’s delay. Since the lamps could hold only a small amount of oil, it was customary to carry extra oil in a vessel of some kind so that the lamps could be replenished from this supply.

The wise, recognizing the possibility of delay, had taken extra oil in vessels. Then when there was a delay, they could replenish the oil in their lamps and keep their lamps burning.

When night fell those awaiting the banquet had concluded that the bridegroom would wait until daylight to travel.

But contrary to custom, when they were not expecting Him, the bridegroom had left the bride’s home and traveled after dark.