MATTHEW 25:1-13
“He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is writ-
ten, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mk.7:6).
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, mur-
ders” (Mk.7:21).
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Ro.3:10).

3. The wise virgins (believers) take oil; they do not depend upon what they have in their lamps (lives). As they go
forth through life to meet the bridegroom (Christ), they lay hold of additional oil, the provision of righteousness, the supply
of God’s Spirit.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righ-
teousness of God in him” (2 Cor.5:21).
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband,
that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Cor.11:2).
“These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they
which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being
the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb” (Rev.14:4).

Thought 1. The main duty of the virgins (believers) is to meet and light the path for the bridegroom.

Thought 2. Note: there was no visible difference between the virgins. They all had lamps, and they were all called
to participate in the marriage feast. The lack of provision by the foolish could not be seen until the Bridegroom ac-
tually came.

Thought 3. How foolish! To depend only on the oil in one’s lamp or life. No one has enough oil, enough righteous-
ness, to make himself perfect, that is, to make himself acceptable to God.

Thought 4. When Christ comes, He must find righteousness in a person if that person is to be allowed in God’s
presence. A man must be a “partaker of the Divine nature” by faith (2 Pt.1:4).

3
(25:5) Jesus Christ, Return: Christ said an interesting thing. There is a long delay before the bridegroom came and all
the virgins slumbered and slept—not just the foolish virgins, but all the virgins slumbered and slept.
1. The idea is that this bridegroom waited much longer than was expected. The virgins had lit their lamps expecting
him any moment, but he never came. As they waited and waited, the night wore on and on.
In the eyes of many, the Lord’s return has lingered and lingered, well beyond what many have thought and taught (cp.
2 Pt.3:3-4, 9-10).
2. All the virgins slumbered and slept. Not just the foolish slept, but the wise slept as well (see DEEPER STUDY #
3,4—Mt.25:5). This is true throughout life. Even the wise grow weary and find it difficult to stay awake and alert, to stay at
peak performance all the time. No believer, whoever he is, walks anywhere as close as he should. The world is too dark and
the darkness too heavy for the believer to see enough light so that he can always be victorious over the pull of heavy eyelids.
g159 His body is too weak to be always laboring.
g159 His mind is too undeveloped to be always concentrating.
g159 His energy is too limited to be always driving.
g159 His spirit is too young to be always sacrificing.
g159 His motives are too self-centered to be always walking unselfishly.

“Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or
at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you
sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Mk.13:35-37).
“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto
you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest”
(Jn.4:35).
“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is
our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Ro.13:11).
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord”
(1 Cor.15:58).
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Col.3:23).
“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (1 Th.5:6).
“Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee
by the putting on of my hands” (2 Tim.1:6).
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor de-
vice, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest” (Eccl.9:10).

Thought 1. Christ has delayed His coming longer than many thought He would. Why? Only God really knows, but
Scripture does give some indication.
1) God’s purposes have to be completely fulfilled.
2) “The time of the Gentiles” has to be completely fulfilled.
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