THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH FOR THOSE WHO ARE WISE TO WATCH!
Can you imagine what would be happening if the leaders of the church and the church people had been watching for the signs of the end of the age as commanded?
The internet would be all abuzz with the excitement that all the signs of the times are here! Many would come to Christ as they see the truth of God's prophetic Word coming to pass before their very eyes!
The lost who are anxiously wondering "what in the world is going on" would no longer be clueless as the Chrisitians would be a LIGHT unto them! Seeing that all ths was prophesied thousands of years ago, many would come to Christ!! What a testimony to the truth of the Word of God- prophesied events actually coming to pass before one's eyes!
Christians would be separating themselves from the world as they would realize that the eternal is all that matters and that this temporal is soon passing away- thus they would be spurred to action to warn people that Jesus is coming and that we are at the end of the age.
Today, it would not be business as usual in the Church if they had only heeded the command to "watch".
They, themselves, would be busily sounding the alarm instead of ridiculing those that are obediant to the commands of Jesus Christ to WATCH!
Early on, Satan cleverly deluded Christendom into twisting ONE Scripture verse into an excuse for "not watching" even though there are multitudinous verses to the contrary that instruct to WATCH!
This one verse is used to demean as heretical those that are obediant to the command of the Lord Jesus Christ to watch:
Mark 13:32 No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
However, if we read this verse in context, we see that because we DON"T KNOW that day or hour, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO WATCH and are even commanded to "BE ON GUARD! BE ALERT!". Jesus even concludes this verse with the command to "WATCH!":
Mark 13:33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'
Seeing this, WHY aren't ALL CHRISTIANS EXCITEDLY WATCHING FOR THE RETURN OF THEIR LORD??
In the parable of the ten virgins note that all ten are called "virgins" and thus represent Christians. The difference between the ten virgins is that when the signs of the end of the age begin, those that are wise have oil and are watching for the bridegroom with their lamps lit so as to light the way.
The other five have no oil and thus are NOT watching and their lamps are NOT lit so they are not being a light unto the unsaved as to the fulfillment of God's prophetic Word showing that we are approaching the end of the age.
At the time of the return of the bridegroom, those foolish ones without enough oil and and who were not watching are told by the bridegroom when He arrived:
Matthew 25:12" 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
The bridegroom in the parable is the Lord Jesus Christ who again is warning His people, the virgins, to "watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."
Matthew 25:13"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
The virgins who are wise are the followers of Christ who have heeded His command and are thereby watching and prepared at His coming. As such, they will go in with Him to the wedding banquet in Heaven when He returns.
Matthew 25:10"...The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet....
The professing Christians who are NOT watching are the unprepared virgins who sadly have no oil and at the last minute realize the truth that we are the end age. It will be too late for them as the door will be shut, once the Rapture has occured.
Matthew 25: 10...And the door was shut.
11"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
12"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
God, the creator of the universe never haphazardly tosses around numbers in Scripture as He is precise and perfect and everything in His Word is for a purpose.
Noteworthy is the fact that only half of the ten virgins, those who were wise and prepared and watching, were allowed to go in with the bridegroom/ Jesus to the wedding banquet.
The other half of the ten those who were foolish and unprepared and not watching were left behind when the door shut.
Based on these percentages, it appears that only half of professing Christians will be taken in the Rapture-those who are wise to be watching and ready~
This in itself should encourage all Christians to watch as commanded so as to ready ourselves for His coming!
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Matthew 25:1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
7"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
9" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
10"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
12"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
13"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
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