Lesson#52

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #52
THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS (MAT 25:1-13)

• MEMORY VERSE: ROM 12:1 OR 2

• THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS (MAT 25:1-13)
• READ MAT 25:1-13
• THE SUBJECT OF THIS PARABLE IS STILL THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. WE KNOW IT BY THE FIRST WORD, “THEN”, IN VERSE 1.
• THE WORD, “THEN”, LINKS THE PARABLE TO THE TOPIC DISCUSSED IN MAT 24, WHICH WAS THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• THE WORD, “THEN”, ALSO HELPS TO GIVE US THE INTERPRETATION.
• WHEN WILL THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BE LIKE THE TEN VIRGINS?
• THE KINGDOM WILL BE LIKE TEN VIRGINS AT THE END OF THE AGE WHEN THE LORD COMES A SECOND TIME.
• BACKGROUND AND A CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN WEDDING PRACTICE:
• AFTER THE FATHER OF THE GROOM HAS ARRANGED THE BETROTHAL WITH THE FATHER OF THE BRIDE, THE GROOM GOES TO THE BRIDE’S HOUSE TO PRESENT BETROTHAL GIFTS AND TO SIGN A COVENANT OF BETROTHAL SEALED WITH A CUP OF WINE.
• THEN THE GROOM RETURNS TO HIS FATHER’S HOUSE TO PREPARE FOR THEIR FUTURE HOME, WHILE THE BRIDE PREPARES FOR THE THINGS SHE WILL NEED FOR HER WEDDING AND HER NEW MARRIED LIFE.
• SHE MUST BE PREPARED FOR THE GROOM’S UNEXPECTED RETURN.
• AT SOME UNEXPECTED TIME, IN THE EVENING, THE GROOM RETURNS TO THE BRIDE’S HOUSE TO CLAIM HIS BRIDE. HE COMES WITH FRIENDS. WHEN HE COMES CLOSE TO HER HOUSE, HE SHOUTS HIS ARRIVAL.
• THE BRIDE PUTS ON A VEIL AND GREET HER BRIDEGROOM.
• THE BRIDE AND THE GROOM WALK THROUGH THE CITY STREETS TO THE HOUSE OF THE FATHER OF THE GROOM.
• FRIENDS OF THE BRIDE AND THE GROOM JOIN THE BRIDAL PROCESSION AS THE COUPLE WALK THROUGH THE CITY STREETS. EACH FRIEND HOLDS A LAMP ON A POLE TO LIGHT THE WAY OF THE PROCESSION AND TO ANNOUNCE THE EVENT.
• THE WEDDING CEREMONY TAKES PLACE IN THE HOUSE OF THE FATHER OF THE GROOM.
• A RECEPTION CELEBRATION OF THE WEDDING WITH EATING, DANCING, AND DRINKING WINE LASTS FOR 7 DAYS.
• AFTER THE 7 DAYS, THE GROOM TAKES THE BRIDE TO HER NEW HOME.
• WHO IS THE BRIDEGROOM IN THE PARABLE?
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE BRIDEGROOM.
• NOTICE THAT THE BRIDE IS NOT MENTIONED IN THIS PARABLE. WHY NOT?
• THE BRIDE IS THE CHURCH. THE WHOLE BODY OF BELIEVERS IS CALLED THE BRIDE OF CHRIST.
• THE BRIDE IS NOT MENTIONED BECAUSE THE PARABLE HAS AS ITS FOCUS THE INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN AND NOT THE BODY OF BELIEVERS COLLECTIVELY.
• WHO DO THE TEN VIRGINS REPRESENT?
• THE TEN VIRGINS REPRESENT THOSE PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY ARE BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST.
• BOTH ISRAEL AND THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH ARE LIKENED TO VIRGINS.
• READ ISA 23:12 AND ISA 37:22 AND JER 14:17
• WHAT ARE THE TEN VIRGINS DOING?
• THEY ARE WAITING FOR THE COMING OF THE BRIDEGROOM.
• BECAUSE ALL TEN VIRGINS ANTICIPATE THE COMING OF THE BRIDEGROOM, NONE OF THE TEN VIRGINS REPRESENT AN EVIL, SCOFFING, NON-BELIEVER. NON-BELIEVERS DO NOT WAIT IN ANTICIPATION FOR THE COMING OF CHRIST.
• WHAT DO THE VESSELS IN VERSE 4 REPRESENT?
• AVESSEL REPRESENTS THE HUMAN BODY.
• READ ACT 9:15, ROM 9:21, 1THE 4:4, 2TIM 2:21
• WHAT DO THE LAMPS REPRESENT?
• THE LAMP REPRESENTS A PERSON’S LIFE TESTIMONY.
• READ MAT 5:14
• EVERY PERSON HAS A LIFE TESTIMONY EITHER FOR GOOD OR FOR EVIL, FOR GOD OR FOR SATAN. WE DISPLAY OUR LIFE TESTIMONY BY THE WAY WE LIVE IN THIS WORLD.
• WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE OIL?
• ALL THROUGH SCRIPTURE, OIL REPRESENTS THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• WHO DO THE FIVE WISE VIRGINS REPRESENT?
• NOW THAT WE KNOW THE MEANING OF THE OBJECTS THEY HOLD, WE CAN IDENTIFY THE WISE VIRGINS WHO HAVE OIL.
• THEY ARE THE BELIEVERS WHO ARE SAVED AND BORN AGAIN. WHEN A PERSON RECEIVES JESUS CHRIST INTO HIS HEART, HE ALSO RECEIVES THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT.
• WHO DO THE FIVE FOOLISH VIRGINS REPRESENT?
• THEY ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NO OIL. THEREFORE, THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY ARE CHRISTIANS, BUT ARE NOT. THEY ARE NOT BORN-AGAIN. THEREFORE THEY DO NOT HAVE THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT.
• THIS PARABLE ALWAYS USED TO DISTURB ME UNTIL I REALLY BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND IT.
• I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY THOSE WHO HAD OIL DID NOT SHARE IT WITH THOSE WHO DID NOT HAVE OIL.
• OF COURSE, WHEN YOU KNOW THAT THE MEANING OF THE OIL IS THE HOLY SPIRIT, YOU KNOW THAT IT IS NOT HUMANS WHO CAN GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ANOTHER PERSON. ONLY GOD GIVES THE SPIRIT AT THE POINT OF REPENTANCE WHEN THE PERSON RECEIVES JESUS CHRIST INTO HIS HEART.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS?
• NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS HE IS A CHRISTIAN IS TRULY A BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST. ONLY THE LORD KNOWS THOSE WHO ARE HIS.
• READ MAT 7:21-23
• THE LORD TELLS US TO BE READY FOR HIS COMING BY POSSESSING THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT.
• THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE PARABLE:
• REMEMBER THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER AND THE SEED? SOME SEED FELL ON STONY PLACES WHERE THE SOIL WAS NOT DEEP AND THE SEED DID NOT TAKE ROOT. WE SAID THAT THIS WAS THE PERSON WHO HEARD THE WORD BUT NEVER PUT DOWN ROOTS. HE NEVER POSSESSED THE KINGDOM OF GOD. THIS IS THE SAME PERSON IN THIS PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS. HE IS THE “GOOD” PERSON WHO IS PROBABLY A CHURCHGOER, BUT HE NEVER BECOMES BORN AGAIN.
• AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, THERE WILL BE A POINT IN TIME WHEN IT IS TOO LATE TO RECEIVE CHRIST INTO HIS HEART. IT WILL BE TOO LATE TO OBTAIN THE OIL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• MANY PEOPLE WILL BE SHUT OUT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD BECAUSE THEY DELAYED TOO LONG BEFORE RECEIVING CHRIST INTO THEIR HEARTS.
• THE OIL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE SURETY OF SALVATION:
• READ EPH 1:13-14
• THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS “SEALED” THE BELIEVER:
• THE CITY OF EPHESUS WAS A TRADING CENTER USED TO SHIPPING MANY PACKAGES. EACH PACKAGE HAD ON IT A WAX SEAL THAT DESIGNATED THE OWNER AND THE LOCATION TO WHERE THE PACKAGE SHOULD BE SHIPPED.
• THE BELIEVER HAS A SPIRITUAL “SEAL” THAT DESIGNATES GOD AS THE OWNER AND HEAVEN AS THE LOCATION TO WHERE WE WILL EVENTUALLY GO.
• THE SEAL MEANS A TRANSACTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED:
• WHEN WE ARE BORN AGAIN, THE HOLY SPIRIT SEALS US INDICATING THAT WE ARE SECURE AND PROTECTED, BELONGING TO JESUS CHRIST.
• THE WORD, “EARNEST” IN EPH 1:14 IS A GREEK WORD THAT MEANS = AN ENGAGEMENT RING. IT IS THE ASSURANCE THAT THE PROMISE GOD MADE FOR ETERNAL LIFE WILL BE FULFILLED. IT IS A PERSONAL LOVE TRANSACTION WITH LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS.
• THEREFORE, THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR ENGAGEMENT RING.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS AND REWARDS (MAT 25:14-30)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS (MAT 25:1-13)
• EXAMINE YOUR HEART AND LIFE (YOUR VESSEL AND YOUR LAMP). DO YOU POSSESS THE OIL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?
• HOW DO YOU KNOW?

• IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE OIL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHAT MUST YOU DO TO BE READY FOR THE LORD’S COMING?

• IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, CONTACT ME, TALK TO A PASTOR, OR ASK ANOTHER BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS AND REWARDS (MAT 25:14-30)
• READ MAT 25:14-30
• WHO DOES THE MAN REPRESENT?

• WHO DO THE SERVANTS REPRESENT?

• WHAT ARE THE “GOODS” GIVEN TO THE SERVANTS (14)?

• WHAT IS A TALENT?

• HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT ONE PERSON RECEIVES 5 TALENTS, ONE RECEIVES 2 TALENTS, AND ANOTHER RECEIVES ONLY 1 TALENT. WHY DO THEY NOT ALL RECEIVE THE SAME AMOUNT?

• WHAT ARE THE REWARDS FOR FAITHFULNESS?

• WHAT ARE THE REWARDS FOR UNFAITHFULNESS?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 25:29