AT 25{The servant at the end of the previous chapter pictures collective responsibility; in this parable. it is individual readiness to go in with the Bridegroom, and pictures the end of this present period of time by the Lord's coming as a Bridegroom for His people. He could not present the bride here, for it is individual responsibility represented by ten virgins.
Verse 1. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom, and five of them 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. They all had lamps, that is profession; the difference is, the wise had oil in their vessels with their lamps; they all seem the same till the testing time comes.
They all went forth to meet the Bridegroom, they all are nominally in the same position, the position of the Church is outside this world's religion and ways, it goes forth.
Verse 5. While the Bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept, they lost their separate character and went in to sleep again in worldly religion and ways, but still keeping their profession. But though the Church has lost its heavenly character, saints are always saints though sleeping among the dead (Eph. 5:14). A worldly saint is very much like the world.
This parable corresponds to the professing church and what has happened in it.
Verse 6. At midnight there was a cry made, "Behold the Bridegroom (cometh), go ye out to meet Him.”
“Go ye out to meet Him" had to be said again to call them out of their wrong state. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
The thought of the Lord's return wakens them up and activity begins. In trimming their lamps the foolish find out they lack the oil, their lamps (or torches) were going out (see margin). An empty profession gives no light. The foolish need oil, but seek it from man, their neighbors; they cannot find it there. Their religion does not satisfy them now; man might think them all right, but they have no grace of life or the Spirit; the reality is wanting; they must have to do with God. If they go to Him they can buy it without money and without price.
Since the cry has gone forth, "Behold the Bridegroom," what religious activity is seen, but nothing avails except Christ and His finished work. It is having done with self and resting on Him as the Savior that is the way to obtain this oil in the vessel. Not even God's people can impart it; only the Lord Himself. How near His coming is now.
Verse 10. And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage; and the door was shut. The foolish have no part in this, they are left out and kept out, for the door was shut.
Verse 11. They plead, "Lord, Lord, open to us," but He answers "Verily, I say unto you, I know you not." It is too late. Church members, professing Christians, but not born of God and not having the Spirit of Christ, these are beyond hope when left behind. Do not believe Satan's lie; believe God's word, and come to Christ now.
The midnight cry has gone forth, the Lord is coming. He may come today. Are you ready? Are von sheltered from the judgment of God by the work of Christ? Only those who have the oil go in with the Bridegroom to the marriage. He refuses to own all others. They had no light, their lamps were useless, they had no title to the feast like those who went in with the Bridegroom.
Quite true, the faithful ones had fallen asleep for a while, but it was a joy to them to be wakened, for they were ready, they had the oil, and the truth was revived in their souls.
None of the Lord's own will fail to hear the shout. (1 Thess. 4:16.) All His own will go in with Him.
Will you be there or will you be left out?
Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. This is a warning. The Lord may come at any moment. We are to be watching as well as waiting for Him. The verse ends here. (See New or Revised Trans.)
Verse 14. In this parable each servant's individual faithfulness is tested. It is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. The Lord has gone into heaven, the goods to trade with are the gifts He gives for His service. The Lord notices the ability or capacity of each vessel, and gives accordingly. (Eph. 4:7, 8, 11.) The servant is fitted by the Lord for what He gives him to do, and he needs no other authority than the Lord's to serve Him. The true servant can count on the goodness and love he has seen in his Master, and labors in confidence of His approval, counting on Him to bless his labors. In this the wicked and slothful servant fails; he misjudges his Master, and has no confidence in Him to serve Him.
Verse 19. After a long time the Lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, Thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold I have gained beside them five talents more. His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
Verses 22, 23. He goes over the same to the one with two talents and He gets the same blessed word of approval; they share alike the joy of their Lord.
Verse 24. The third one had digged in the earth and hid his Lord's money; then when called to account, he calls his Master a hard man, dealing in unrighteousness, and he was afraid. What did he know of the grace of his Master? Nothing at all. After all, he is a wicked man, and because he is in the profession of a servant, he is a wicked and slothful servant. What he has is taken from him and given to the one who gained the ten talents; but for him there is outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth. What a sad end for one professedly serving Christ. (1 Cor. 3:17.)
'That which we gain spiritually here, in spiritual intelligence and in the knowledge of God in power, is not lost in the other world. On the contrary, we receive more, and the glory of the inheritance is given us in proportion to our work. All is grace." (J. N D. Synopsis. Luke 19.)
There is also danger of a true child of God neglecting the ministry given to him of the Lord. (See Col. 4:17.)
Verse 31. We are again looking at the coming of the Son of Man as King, coming in heavenly glory, and all the holy angels with Him, to sit upon the throne of His glory. In 24:30, 31, He appeared with the great sound of a trumpet calling together His elect earthly people. Here it is the living nations who had taken part in helping or persecuting the suffering Jews during the tribulation.
There is no resurrection of the dead here; the unsaved dead will be raised after the thousand years of Christ's reign are over. This is at the commencement of it.
The gospel of the kingdom has been preached; in the sheep we see those who received it; in the goats those who did not believe in the Lord's coming as King. Now He divides them asunder, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. The King speaks: "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (God's purposes for the Church are before the foundation of the world). For' was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; was a stranger, and ye took Me in; naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.”
And in answer to their question when did they do these things, He answers: "Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.”
The Church is the Lord's brethren; the Jews here are the King's brethren. These sheep had helped them during their sufferings from their enemies. Their love to His people speaks to Him of their faith in Him.
How solemn the word to those on the left hand: "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;" they were enemies of His brethren, and thus His enemies. "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal." These righteous possess eternal life on earth under the reign of Christ, and on the new earth in the eternal state. For the wicked it is the lake of fire forever.