OUR SUBJECT THIS AFTERNOON IS ‘THE TEN VIRGINS’ OF MATTHEW 25. The wise and the foolish virgins. ‘Then shall the Kingdom be likened unto the virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom. And five were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish, took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight, there was a cry made. Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.’
Before we go any further with this particular parable, we tell you that it is a peculiar parable which our LORD told, and we must find out this relationship or who these people are we are reading about. We want to know, rather, we want you to know that these virgins are by no means the Bride of the Scripture. For the Bride is well marked in scripture because God is married to Israel. God of the Old Testament, YAHWEH said, ‘I am married to Israel, and Ephraim is my first born.’ And thus, HE was married to Israel. And under the New covenant, HE is married to Israel. And will be rejoined with Israel, HIS wife, under the New Covenant, and under all the blessings of the New Covenant, in the hour of HIS return. If you turn to the book of Revelation 21:2, it makes this point clear. ‘I (John) saw the Holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband.’