Who are the 10 virgins Jesus spoke about in the book of Matthew? What can we learn from them? Is this story a warning to all believers? Read this excerpt from the book of Matthew, chapter 25 verses 1 through 13:
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish…And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’…the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
First, we know that the Bridegroom is Jesus Christ. This story is about His unexpected yet anticipated return. Whether it refers to the rapture or the Second Coming. We do not know.
We also know that in the book of Ephesians the church is described as the bride of Christ. Christ’s return will assuredly be a surprise. It will happen at an unknown hour, which means there will be no time to make things right with God. There will no longer be time to prepare or to make decisions.
This tells us that believers around the world must live ready. We must be born again through saving faith in Jesus Christ and warn others of what’s to come. If this story tells us that there were ten virgins and only half of them were prepared, that means half were not. This indicates 50% of people will be left behind!
It’s interesting to note that the Bible calls us children of light. Five of the virgins had their light go out which means they held the appearance or attitude or profession of a Christian in some way. Does this mean that anyone can claim to be a Christian? Do both genuine and false believers reside in our churches? Could it be that 50% of these churchgoers are deceived?
Many denominations and churches have faithful followers who claim to be Christian, attend services, quote from the Bible, and even do good works, but are they truly born again? Have they placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation?
There are varying opinions on the meaning of this bible passage and the identity of the virgins. What all agree on is the message behind this story. We all have good reason to believe that we must watch the times unfolding around us and be ready.
The time of our Lord’s coming is very uncertain; we know neither the day nor the hour. What we do know is He is coming.
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Bill Wiese is the author of New York Times best selling book, “23 Minutes In Hell,” the story of his life-changing visit to hell in 1998. Bill has since authored six additional book titles, and continues to share his experience around the world. He and his wife Annette founded Soul Choice Ministries in late 2006 and have dedicated their lives to reaching the unsaved. For more information about Bill Wiese and Soul Choice Ministries please visit us at: https://soulchoiceministries.org/. You can find more of Bill’s teachings at: https://www.youtube.com/user/BillWieseTV
